Racing NSW's decision not to apply a Hong Kong Jockey Club disqualification on jockey Chris Munce will negatively affect the cooperation between major racing jurisdictions, New Zealand's main racing body said on Tuesday.Racing NSW's decision has angered the Hong Kong club whose stewards disqualified Munce until September next year after he pleaded guilty to charges over a tips-for-bets scandal.New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) chairman Guy Sargent said NZTR supported reciprocation of penalt

Racing NSW's decision not to apply a Hong Kong Jockey Club disqualification on jockey Chris Munce will negatively affect the cooperation between major racing jurisdictions, New Zealand's main racing body said on Tuesday.

Racing NSW's decision has angered the Hong Kong club whose stewards disqualified Munce until September next year after he pleaded guilty to charges over a tips-for-bets scandal.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) chairman Guy Sargent said NZTR supported reciprocation of penalties, unless there were special conditions required by the laws of natural justice.

That also took into account whether the licensee had exhausted all avenues of appeal in the jurisdiction in which the penalty was exposed.

"NZTR firmly believes that the decision by Racing NSW not to reciprocate a disqualification handed down by the stewards of the HKJC will negatively impact on the current level of cooperation between major racing jurisdictions to uphold the integrity of and public confidence in horseracing," Sargent said.

But he would not say that Munce would be refused a licence to ride in New Zealand if he applied here.

"It is not possible to determine whether any particular application for a licence or permit to ride in New Zealand would be granted unless and until the application was received," he said in a statement.

NZTR is a signatory to an international racing agreement which requires automatic reciprocation of suspensions between countries, subject to any special conditions required by natural justice.

If Munce wants to ride in an Australian state other than NSW, he must apply for a licence in that state and the same situation would appear to apply with New Zealand.

Munce spent 20 months in jail in Hong Kong and Australia after being found guilty by a Hong Kong court of tipping horses he was riding in exchange for money.

He was released from a Sydney jail on October 30 and granted a licence by Racing NSW on November 10, pending the inquiry by Hong Kong stewards.

They subsequently issued 36 charges to which he pleaded guilty.

Racing NSW reciprocated the penalties given in 35 of the charges, and said the time had already been served.

However, it decided not to reciprocate the 30-month disqualification relating to the 36th charge because the penalty was tied to a breach of the criminal code of Hong Kong that does not exist under Australian law.

Munce is expected to return to riding at Sydney's Randwick course on Friday.

Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the NSW decision was unprecedented and breached the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' principle that penalties would automatically be reciprocated whenever natural justice has been afforded.

"This decision has the potential to undermine the integrity of horseracing internationally and threatens the relationship between Australia and Hong Kong," he said.

Sargent said NZTR had informed Hong Kong officials of its position.