Strike threat lingers despite fairer crack of whip for jockeys

Among the changes – which came into immediate effect – are the removal of the five-hit rule inside the final furlong/after the last obstacle. Jockeys have struggled to come to terms with the guidelines since their introduction last week, which allow no more than seven hits in a flat race and eight over jumps. Riders will now not lose their riding fee if suspended for a whip offence.

They will also only lose their percentage of prize-money if their offence earns a ban of seven days or more, rather than the three days the rules originally stated.

But dissatisfaction remains among riders at the strength of penalties for minor breaches of the rules, and former champion Jamie Spencer voiced his displeasure with the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA). He said: “I think history is repeating itself like on every other issue, we’re weak with no strength behind us and everybody waves the flag too easy. I’m disappointed with a lot of the guys that have taken it all lying down. I don’t think it’s going to have much bearing on my riding but it’s just disappointing that everybody is just so weak.

“French jockeys stick together, the Australians stuck together over the whip and this is why we’re probably racing for peanuts every day of the week. We never put a fight up for anything, we take everything lying down. I’m just disappointed with everybody.

“Nobody is bothered about the seven strikes, it’s just the penalties, they don’t add up.

“I’m not upset with the rule itself – it’s how weak our body is, we just give up every time. For me nothing came out of the meeting [between the BHA and PJA] on Monday.

“The whole thing for me is a shambles, it will affect the young guys starting off more than someone like Frankie [Dettori]. I just think there’s one weak body and I’m sure there’s plenty of other guys that will agree with me.”

Current title holder Paul Hanagan hopes there is still room for manoeuvre over penalties.

He said: “I was made up they did away with the five hits inside the final furlong and gave us our riding fee back, but I still think the severity of a five-day ban is too much.

“That’s coming from me, and I rarely get banned, I’ve had to adapt to the rules over the years but there are some lads not in the position I’m in getting five or ten days, it could finish some lads.”

Steve Drowne believes there remains a possibility of strike action. He said: “No-one’s happy about the new rules, but it depends upon the grade of unhappiness. We’ll have a meeting and judge the mood. There are always going to be conflicting opinions and if lads don’t feel strongly about it, then they shouldn’t strike. If they do [feel strongly], then we could.”

The new rules are to work retrospectively, meaning Richard Hughes returned to race-riding at Newbury, bagging a winner on his first mount back. Hughes, who last week pledged not to ride again until the rules were changed, said: “My beef with the rules was about five strikes after the furlong pole so I’m happy about that, but I don’t think much else has changed. It’s great the BHA have held their hands up and seen it wasn’t working. You don’t know if it works until you test it out and luckily they saw very quickly it wasn’t going the right way and they changed it.

“It’s a good move forward but the penalties are very high, as if you make a clerical misjudgment with eight strikes instead of seven, you get a five-day ban, and then a ten-day ban.”

Christophe Soumillon will also now receive the substantial percentage of the prize-money for winning the Qipco Champion Stakes on Cirrus Des Aigles at Ascot last Saturday, and have his ban quashed. He had been stripped of £52,000 and suspended five days.

In a statement yesterday, PJA chief executive Kevin Darley said: “The PJA is pleased that the BHA has recognised that the new rules did require amendments, especially in regard to the limitations on the whip in the final furlong and after the last fence, as well as in regard to the forfeiting of riding fees. There are still serious concerns about the level of penalties for minor infringements of the rules.

“Discussions among jockeys about the amendments will continue today and over the weekend.”