It is an interesting mob, the ARB. Its members represent states and territories from around the country. It is racing's law-maker and supposed to represent the interest of all race players: punters, owners, jockeys, trainers, strappers, breeders, you name it, reports Craig Young in the Sydney Morning Herald.In an opinion piece, Young says: Once, the ARB was considered a toothless tiger and continually laughed at. Obviously members reckoned it needed fangs so it decided to take on the whip issue.
It is an interesting mob, the ARB. Its members represent states and territories from around the country. It is racing's law-maker and supposed to represent the interest of all race players: punters, owners, jockeys, trainers, strappers, breeders, you name it, reports Craig Young in the Sydney Morning Herald.
In an opinion piece, Young says: Once, the ARB was considered a toothless tiger and continually laughed at. Obviously members reckoned it needed fangs so it decided to take on the whip issue. It wanted to bite before the do-gooders, the animal welfare lobbies, struck. The same mob that basically stuffed hurdle racing. They made the jumps smaller and horses went faster, but had no respect for the fences. Yes, speed kills. Yep, the ARB attacked the whip issue. It has completely botched it. It introduced a set of rules that do not work. Jockeys can break the rules and their horse still wins.
Don't laugh, it is true. It is a debacle. Who dreamt up such rules? One jockey limits their whip action over the final 100m of a race to conform, while a rival loses count of the cracks and wins in a photo finish. Sure stewards, the on-track law enforcers, can suspend the jockey found in breach. They can penalise the rider financially, take the 5 per cent prizemoney cut.
All well and good but rules have been broken and you still win. Surely it cannot be so? Connections of those beaten when playing fairly have no recourse. One would have thought they may be able to lodge a protest. Why not? What steward, what person, is going to decide one more strike outside the law was the difference between a horse winning and losing? How would anyone know that?
Maybe the crew at the ARB could be called upon to adjudicate. They could meet every Monday to decide the outcome of a week's worth of races where breaches seem to have taken place. We might be on to something here. The ARB can declare correct weight and punters and connections of the horses get paid. Betting houses could frame markets on the Monday results. Punters on the winner could have something on the second horse. It is called ''saving''. Cash for punters on a Monday? Of course, the wagers will attract take-out rates. More money for a financially floundering industry, governments, betting house stake-holders. How good is that?
No, it is a debacle. Jockeys and the ARB are at a stalemate. The ARB has backed itself into a corner. Back down, relent on the issue, give in to the jockeys and it will be deemed a gummy shark by the do-gooders.
The overwhelming majority of interested players, all those participants the ARB is supposed to represent, will no doubt applaud. Common sense will have prevailed. Racing will then whip itself into a new frenzy. You can bet on that.