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Letter of the Week

Safety first

A proposed change in Victoria to the number of clerks of course is a terrible idea. I worked in the game for nearly 15 years and would always look to have a clerk lead my horse to the barriers, to relax the horse if I think they needed it and to help the jockey if the horse was a puller, or a flighty, headstrong or nervous type.
I personally think Australia, particularly Victoria, has the best racing in the world, but look at the big picture. In the US they have a clerk for every horse. In Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore they have more than enough on-course staff. If anything I think they go over the top, but that’s better than cutting corners.

Rodney Plant
Melbourne
Today's Racing
Friday 19 April
Saturday 20 April
Sunday 21 April