McCoy and Dettori attack British racing association over whip rules
Jockeys accuse body of misleading them and threaten strike
London: The whip row between jockeys and racing's ruling body intensified yesterday when AP McCoy and Frankie Dettori accused the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) of misleading them when the jockeys originally endorsed the new rules.
When the rules were revealed on September 27, almost a fortnight before they were introduced, part of the fanfare included Britain's two best-known jockeys giving their unequivocal support. Both were quoted by the BHA as saying the changes were in the ‘best interests of the sport'.
However, McCoy revealed yesterday he had only been informed about the new rules over the phone on the Sunday night prior to them being published, and that he had been told Dettori had signed up to them, and it would be a good idea if he did too.
He also said, then, he was unaware of the full extent of penalties for breaches, particularly minor breaches, of the new rules. Had they and the Professional Jockeys Association been given time to consider the full implications and practical consequences of the rules and penalties, they argued, they would not have given the quotes.
In hindsight
In a joint statement, McCoy and Dettori said: "In hindsight we would like to have given more consideration to the new rules before commenting. We didn't give them properly informed approval and we really wish that the BHA would stop saying that we did."
After the much-publicised appearance by a group of top jockeys, which included McCoy, Dettori and Richard Hughes, who has quit riding over the matter ‘until further notice', at a BHA board meeting on Monday, the PJA, headed by former jockey Kevin Darley, has been told to expect a reply from the reconvened whip review group by ‘the end of the week'. That meeting between the BHA and the PJA averted a strike, but there is renewed pressure from increasingly impatient riders for a strike as soon as next Monday if the rules are not changed.
The most obvious and easiest concession — for the BHA or the Review Group chaired by Andrew Merriam — to make is to drop the part of the rule which stipulates that a horse can be hit only five times in the last furlong on the Flat.
Excessive use
That has proved unworkable and it is telling that of the 23 whips bans handed out since the rules came in 10 days ago, 19 have been for excessive use and 10 of those have taken place inside the last furlong or after the last fence.
Take the ‘final furlong' clause away and the high-profile cases of Richard Hughes and Christophe Soumillon, who forfeited his £53,000 (Dh 306,921) percentage for winning the Champion Stakes on Cirrus Des Aigles at Ascot on Saturday, would not have happened.
Key demands
- Total number of hits permitted by riders to remain at seven through a whole Flat race as proposed by the BHA, but the restriction of five hits in the last furlong to be removed. In a National Hunt race the total hits should remain as proposed by the BHA at eight, but the restriction of five hits after the last obstacle must be removed.
- Penalties for excessive use in both Flat and National Hunt races — one hit over the permitted limit — earns a two-day ban for the rider. Two hits over and the jockey is given a four-day ban while three hits over the limit incurs a 10-day ban. Thereafter, the level of penalty to be increased by two days for each additional hit.
- Financial penalties: All BHA rules regarding loss of prize money percentage and riding fees for jockeys who break the rules to be withdrawn.
- Big-race exemptions: Group One and Grade One races should continue to be exempt from a ban for minor whip offences with penalties of four days or less.
— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2011
