Tired of the Discussion

April 17, 2023

After 3 falls in Black Type races in Melbourne, Ben Melham suggested in a tweet that jockey fatigue might be to blame and that to fix this we should have less racing.

A discussion of the issue naturally ensued and the racing media as always were keen to broadcast the thoughts of the most prominent jockeys and trainers, all of whom are of course completely entitled to have and to voice their opinion. However, it seems a few very basic points – coincidentally the first points that a small trainer would think of – were completely lost in the wash.

Point 1 – Horses need taking care of every day of the year – 24-7, 365 days a year. This is not an issue foremost in senior jockeys minds, but the fact is, someone has to be working with these horses every day, whether there is racing on or not.

Point 2 – The Jockeys Association have made it clear that they flat out oppose any restriction on the number of meetings their members can ride. Quite clearly this is because the most prominent jockeys want to be able to take as many rides as they currently do. So, any move to reduce the number of races will not significantly affect the number of days the big name jockeys ride but will reduce the opportunity for smaller name jockeys and trainers who are already struggling to make a living. Less racing simply equals less money for the hard-working industry participants who already doing it toughest.

Point 3 – Big trainers do not saddle their horses up outside of city venues, and so race meetings well away from town do not really affect them. They send someone else to do the work, just as someone else does the work with their horses much of the rest of the time. A lot of these trainers do work very hard, I’m not saying they don’t, but the fact is many big trainers usually spend several weeks of the year away at yearling sales and no-one is suggesting the industry should commit financial suicide and stop racing for all the weeks the sales are on. So the fact is, the number of days racing each year does not really upset the big trainers’ lives.

Point 4 – The Jockey’s Association would like jockeys to be paid for jumpouts as they are for trials. NO PROBLEM THERE. Currently most small stables pay every rider for every jumpout, while it is the bigger stables who are more likely to expect jockeys to ride without payment in exchange for future rides. So mandatory payment for jumpouts – for all riders, not just jockeys – is fine from our end.

Point 5 – I contacted an agent today about a jockey riding our horse on Thursday, and he informed me she was not going to the meeting. She is organising her own life and business and as a result she was not available for race rides there. On Saturday she is riding and is on one of our horses. On Thursday we will simply have to get someone else. Why I am I writing in such short sentences? Because the point is so GODDAMN OBVIOUS that it is hard to think of a way to make any of it clearer: jockeys run their own lives and they do not have to ride at any meeting if they do not want to.