各省騎師今日罷騎~~~
由於新既用鞭法令澳洲大部份騎師都唔慣~~
所以今日係維省舉行至第５場後騎師集體罷騎
以事引起各省騎師效應..紛紛罷騎餘下賽事..大部份meeting被迫取消
Jockeys strike as ARB stands firm on whip issue
Clinton Payne
Thursday, 10 September 2009
The Australian Racing Board (ARB) has resisted industry pressure to change new rules governing whip use, triggering immediate industrial action from jockeys.
The ARB met with industry participants, racing officials and the RSPCA on Thursday but opposed recommendations for the rules to be amended to allow unlimited whip use on horses in contention over the final 100 metres of a race.
Jockeys riding at Ballarat in Victorian called a stop-work meeting when news filtered through about the decision.
They met for 30 minutes before refusing to ride after the third race.
Hawkesbury jockeys were expected to meet after the running of the fourth race.
The jockeys' actions raised the ire of trainers with horses engaged at Ballarat.
"It's a bastard-act," respected trainer Rick Hore-Lacy said.
ARB chairman Bob Bentley claims the new whip rules have achieved a fundamental change in its attitudes and practices since they were implemented on August 1.
岞any so called experts have criticised the changes made by the Australian Racing Board but the fact is that the industry has come light years ahead on this issue,�Bentley said.
𡤃ltimately the Australian Racing Board𠏋 obligation is to do what is in the best interests of the industry, now and in the future, not what is popular.
𨧻n this instance the Board does not believe that there is evidence that warrants backtracking on the changes that came into effect on 1st August, 2009.
孏his decision was arrived at unanimously.�/p>
The Australian Jockeys Association argument that limiting the use of the whip was an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) issue was dismissed by the ARB.
幈ccupational Health and Safety (OH&S) is always a serious matter but in this instance there is absolutely no evidence that supports the argument that riders or horses have been placed at risk as a consequence of the new whip rules,�Bentley said.
孏he statistics show that if anything safety levels have been enhanced, with incidents of interference in the straight declining markedly.�/p>
The ARB will review the whip rules in February.
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