ARB chief Bob Bentley has dismissed the participation of owners, trainers and breeders in 'peace talks' to settle the whip crisis. In what will be seen as a contemptuous slap in the face for some of the biggest names in horse-racing, Bentley told Sky TV: 'I'm happy to sit down with jockeys, but I'm not going to sit down with 1,000 other people...The door has always been open. It was never closed. But we don't need these other people or mediators." Owners, trainers and breeders have thrown t
ARB chief Bob Bentley has dismissed the participation of owners, trainers and breeders in 'peace talks' to settle the whip crisis. In what will be seen as a contemptuous slap in the face for some of the biggest names in horse-racing, Bentley told Sky TV: 'I'm happy to sit down with jockeys, but I'm not going to sit down with 1,000 other people...The door has always been open. It was never closed. But we don't need these other people or mediators." Owners, trainers and breeders have thrown their support behind the jockeys' bid to have the rules regarding restricted use of the whip amended. Bentley has also taken a swipe at NSW Chief Steward Ray Murrihy's bid to become a mediator in the row. He has more or less told him to stick to his own job. Bentley's attack on the industry closely follows his swipe at 'so-called' experts who opposed the new whip rules.
Latest news is that the ARB will meet with jockeys' reps on Monday in a final bid to work out a solution to the crisis before it becomes a dangerous threat to the spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.