Jockeys will be allowed to use their discretion over the final 100 metres of a race after the Australian Racing Board (ARB) bowed to pressure from industry stakeholders to change the new whip rules.The issue had been mired in controversy since the rules came into effect on August 1, along with the introduction of a padded whip.Jockeys around the country walked off the job earlier this month in protest against the new rules which limited them to striking their mount with a forehand action a maxim

Jockeys will be allowed to use their discretion over the final 100 metres of a race after the Australian Racing Board (ARB) bowed to pressure from industry stakeholders to change the new whip rules.

The issue had been mired in controversy since the rules came into effect on August 1, along with the introduction of a padded whip.

Jockeys around the country walked off the job earlier this month in protest against the new rules which limited them to striking their mount with a forehand action a maximum of seven times in the final 100m of a race and not in consecutive strides.

Further strike action over the spring carnival was averted last week when jockeys reached a compromise with the ARB which allowed them to use the whip seven times inside the final 100m at their discretion.

However other industry stakeholders, including trainers, owners and breeders, felt the changes did not go far enough and on Tuesday met with a review panel set up by the ARB to put forward their case.

NSW Trainers' Association president Anthony Cummings was part of the contingent that travelled to Melbourne to meet with the panel and welcomed the ARB's decision to relax the restrictions on jockeys in the final stages of a race.

"Commonsense prevailed," Cummings said.

"It's nice to have a responsive administration in place taking notice of what the population is after and acting accordingly.

"It's great news."

The latest changes will be implemented on a trial basis effective from this Saturday until February 1 next year and stewards have been asked to police how the permitted "discretion" is exercised by jockeys.

The unrestricted whip use relates only to horses in contention to run first, second or third.

"The effect of these changes is to further reduce the total level of potential use of the whip while at the same time addressing issues of concern that have been identified by participant groups," the ARB said in a statement.

The ARB also announced that connections of a horse would now be allowed to lodge a protest if they believed an unfair advantage had been gained by a jockey breaching the whip regulations.

This was previously not permitted under the rules.

Last month apprentice Daniel Ganderton was found to have breached the whip rules aboard Deer Valley who won the Silver Shadow Stakes by a half-head over Melito whose jockey Corey Brown did not stray from the rule book.

Ganderton was fined and penalised but Deer Valley kept the race.