It's on today (Thursday), that Australian Racing Board meeting to thrash out the whip rules farce...The Age newspaper comments: 'Whatever the result of this meeting, there must be an immediate change to the rule that is not yet six weeks old...The street-corner tip yesterday was that a few of the 17 board members were getting cold feet over the new rules and they might bow to the jockeys' wishes of allowing riders discretion as to how many times they hit their mounts over the final 100 metres...
It's on today (Thursday), that Australian Racing Board meeting to thrash out the whip rules farce...The Age newspaper comments: 'Whatever the result of this meeting, there must be an immediate change to the rule that is not yet six weeks old...The street-corner tip yesterday was that a few of the 17 board members were getting cold feet over the new rules and they might bow to the jockeys' wishes of allowing riders discretion as to how many times they hit their mounts over the final 100 metres...There are two ways this issue can possibly go. The ARB could give the jockeys what they want, but if not, the board must move today to halt a potential mass revolt from punters and owners solely on the matter of fairness...Owners and punters are the ones that put on the racing show with their investments, but it is they who are most disadvantaged when a jockey transgresses the whip rule.'
Eight successive defeats...Can hype galloper Whobegotyou break back into the winner's circle at Moonee Valley on Sat? He takes on a likely classy field in the Grp 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes so it won't be an easy task, but he has won his only three starts at the Valley, including the Grp 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) last Sept and the Grp 2 AAMI Vase (2040m) on Cox Plate Day last Oct. He's had five 2nds and a 3rd since then! Damien Oliver will ride Whobegotyou and Steven King is booked for stablemate Sea Battle in the same race