October
DecemberWorst rule ever
This new whip ruling is probably the stupidest ever in racing.
The whip today is far softer and lighter than it was years ago. You can hold it in one hand and smack the other — it doesn’t hurt. Today’s whips are more a persuader to make horses follow the jockey’s course before, during and after the race.
In a race jockeys should be able to try to gain a good position then plan the rest of the race and when to make a move, according to how the horse is travelling.
Now in the straight all that jockeys are thinking about is counting how many times they’re using the whip. I believe such concentration on a single aspect of riding can create distorted outcomes and even danger.
It’s not so long ago that jockeys were being regularly called before the stewards after a race for failing to ride their horse out to the line, especially by Ray Murrihy in Sydney.
There is no doubt that this innovation will have a bearing on the result of some races.
Being a mug punter I wish it would stop me betting but I am hooked. All the same I would like to know that the horse l’ve backed got beaten on its merits not through lack of persuasion by the jockey.
I was watching Sky Racing recently and saw Jason Benbow interviewed after a race. He spoke a lot of sense about the whip rule.
He would make a good jockey spokesman in this argument and I hope racing authorities do not chastise him in any way for speaking his mind.
Kilmore (Vic)