WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOUR OF A JOCKEYS STRIKE

absolutely, I think they are in a nightmare situation with this new whip rule.

i would entirely support a strike and think both jump and flat should do it on this new ''champion's'' day.

that would get some attention

Total strike by owners trainers jockeys and punters. Overnight English racing has been distroyed.

No, jockeys shouldn't strike, they should learn to count to 7.  The bans are the fault of the offending jockeys, nobody else.

STRIKE  004

NO STRIKE 000

totally agree feel for all and Natalia Gemelova's was heartbreaking ride / interview

STRIKE  004

NO STRIKE 001

The rule is not so bad just when intrioduced.

Should have been the start of the next flat jumops season.

Then people could have adjusted their style and increased body muscle in certain areas.

Tweaks if required by observation consulatation could have been made to the rules.

The obvious tweak should be just the number of strikes not at what points they can be used.

No danger of any strike being unanimous so cant see it happening the rules are there they have to work with them, live with it for goodness sake if not the next step will be to have whips for control only which i am in favour of anyway but they must give these a chance.

Make no mistake about it, British racing will be finished, why would big owners want to run over here? Cant even ride out for a place in a listed race.

What price a Jockey gettng banned for over use of the whip, in the same race a jockey getting banned for not trying?

As daft as it sounds it could even be the same jockey. Come on stop cow towing to the pc brigade and say it as it is.

but they haven't just got to count to 7, they've got to glance across at the furlong pole, start a new count i believe in addition to the old count, all the while trying to find the gaps, win the race and control half a ton
of horse, and if they get it wrong they lose their money.

and over jumps it must be nearly impossible, count the circuits (gone wrong in the past), control a horse, get it focussed on jumping (does a slap down the neck going to a jump count for one whip?) all the while counting your whip and again after the last jump and you only get one more whip allowance over 4 miles than in a 5 furlong race with no jumps.

madness imo.


I'd rather they just focussed on winning the race personally and kept their money for doing their job.

It even makes a mockery of all present form, and to some extent breeding lines, wake up and smell the horde s***

No strike, rules are rules and they are so bloody simple to understand. Really getting on my nerves now all this sympathy. Ban them for longer if they ignore them

this new rule is a godsend to dodgy jockeys and trainers who want to run one down the park a few times to get a better handicap mark.

the stewards are too busy trying to spot and punish tryers right now, rather than waste time looking for non tryers.

if you think the form book is bad just now with half the jockeys afraid to ride a finish, just wait until all the held back horses start trying to win.

would love certain jockeys to go on strike, that's for sure

"No strike, rules are rules and they are so bloody simple to understand"

Except that is a complete non-sequitir. The argument isn't about whether they are 'easy to understand'

i think the new rules are unrealistic! IMPOSSIBLE not to get a ban in certain situations!!

they use facking foam whips ffs and like jim boyles said, what if you have to correct your mount from going thru a rail of in to another horse but youve used up your quota?

just strike already and teach these stupid idiots a lesson!!

its also a licence to cheat, if it wasnt easy anough already!

DG the argument is about understanding and implementing and its the later thats the problem but as i said earlier those are the rules and they must try to make them work or the whip will only be used as a control in a race which i have no problem with personally.

I am in favour of a strike... don't know what the count is now

no reason to strike let the it play itself out,you never know for sure what could happen,but in a depression a very dodgy move by the powers that be?

the jocks themselves (including AP I think) were in favour of a "limit" being imposed so that they knew exactly where they stood compared to the previously considered "arbitrary" assessment of amateur stewards determining whether jocks were guilty of misuse of the whip.

Their issue now is learning when and how to use their allocation, which they will do in time.

The limit of 8 for jumps racing is a joke though, and as Hughsie said, we will be getting 2 or 3 finishers in 3m chases when the soft ground arrives

MJ dont tell me we are in a depression as well as a recession god we are really in trouble.

most ignorants in denial of real state of econonmy?

could not agree more MJ

idiot goverment(te front for the banks) trying to sell housing again?  and that is the very reason we are in a depression.. you could not make it up

I support a strike if its against the whip rule and not just against the penalties given out.

dont get me started on the goverment we will be here all day its the wrong forum.

jockeys don't need to strike,it is their livelihood and the real power in the whole game lies with punters. If punters stopped betting horses online and in the shops for 3 consecutive days (preferably the weekend) then projected further downturns in Levy payments would result in panic at the BHA. Under the current scenario many £300+ punters will desist from such wagers knowing they may not get a fully committed ride (because of jockey sensibilities rather than insider skullduggery.) Punters will still bet but bet on other sports,lotteries or even the play station cartoons or machines.The High St will still get business as horse betting turnover falls,online will get multiples players after bonuses and the live money knowing the jockey will break the rules if required will always seek a home.

Either ban whips carte blanche or disqualify any horse whipped one stroke too many. If carried for safety reasons then any stroke administered incurs disqualification but the little mite on top is able to attempt correctional measures.

Not wise to be saying things like that on a betfair forum?(but fair play)

I stood watching the racing in the pub yesterday with the other regulars and for the very first time I can ever remember, none of us had a bet.
in the end we were just chatting about other things because we thought the racing was boring. 
(whether that was because nobody had bet anything or whether it was because the horses just trot to the start now and then trot back the same way, I'm not sure)

Two great posts from Fico well reasoned and well thought out.I am in favour of a strike as it might stop the ludicrous persecution of jockeys,my expierience on here is that most just slate jockeys so i am delighted to see all these reasonable posts.Thanks to Urchin for this thread.

on the other subject of housing,my home is bought not for speculated profit or inheritance for my kids.Rather than rent forever and worry about a rentable home when aged my home is mine because I may live 30+ years once I stop earning.To that end I'll always have a roof over my head.Someday soon housing benefit will be slashed and people will be downsizing to properties that are viable for income and a radically restructured benefits system.Why should rents of £600 upwards per month be met by a bankrupt Govt overseeing a welfare state on a way fast tracking Armageddon? Yes there are unfortunates and genuine disabled claimants who need help from the Big Society but immigrants who have paid nothing to UK in sweat nor taxes and the real workshy who grow obese because of laziness and slobbish living deserve nothing.A big fat zero!

i agree its boring!! feeling the same lately!! too much garbage and the bha/cheaters are just doing my facking head in!

I agree with outpost that racing has fundamentally changed changed as a spectacle

Its been going more or less unchanged for hundreds of years and been enjoyed as an exciting spectacle by generations of racegoers and now in 2011 its been changed apparently to appease people who are not even interested in  the sport

I watched wetherby yesterday and the races seemed dull with so many wide margin winners and horses massively tailed off.The jocks seemed almost motionless and unable to help their mounts improve their position due to this rule.

It was a crashing bore and this is what it will be like now

Well I haven't staked £1000 on a horse in over a year and have no inclination to get heavily involved again.That is nothing to do with whips,more like the paucity of racing and lack of faith in connections running for purses of £1000 to the winner. Then at bigger flat meetings being unaware of but suspecting draw bias or overly watered tracks the CoC's have reduced my punting confidence to nothing.So much so that I don't bet on the flat at Haydock for example and there must be many others like me. The BHA aren't introducing new guidelines to inept CoC's and ensuring they keep within the guidelines or forsake their salaries.The whip debate is just another own goal for racing.

Strike

"DG the argument is about understanding and implementing and its the later thats the problem but as i said earlier those are the rules"

Doesn't mean they are right though, which is obviously the key issue.

"they must try to make them work or the whip will only be used as a control in a race which i have no problem with personally."

Richard Hughes tried that, and got banned. I certainly hope he'll be speaking his mind in his column on Saturday

ph.

let's get this whip rule sorted and then we'll have a go at the 'system'

one thing at a time [;)]

As an earlier poster stated i would be in full support of a strike from the jockeys on champions day this weekend, as much as i was looking forward to it. This is a total joke, and the jocks need to send a loud clear message now.

no strike, again rules are rules.

I for one would be amazed if the jockeys strike on champions day.

STRIKE. Would actually be quite hilarious if they all did strike 5 mins before BC day began. Resignations at the BHA would follow I'm sure.

"no strike, again rules are rules."

If the government made a 'rule' saying you had to give up all of your income because you did something they decided they didn't like, would you be happy to go along with that? After all, rules are rules.

Well said Dr Gonzo and the rule is a stupid rule.

All of us in life have to abide by rules ok some of them we dont like but we have to abide by them in this context the jockeys were asked for a number and they got it so it is up to them to try to make it work i think both the BHA and the jockeys are not going to let racing be destroyed on the whip issue they will work it out somehow but not before this change  is given a chance.

sorry virgin,refreshed from dog walking and just full of beans. Will go and read RP on the big seat and return suitably depressed.You can't bet early races now until you've seen track and bias if any.Going forecast means nothing.

strike and it will sorted in 48 hours

jockey strike or punters strike? No jockeys and punters will still bet on something else.No punters and the Bookies will ensure BHA do something.

bookies would love a strike on racing. promotion time on roulette

I would be in favour of a strike.Who do theses rules benefit?
The owner? The jockey? the trainer? the punter?

I would be in favour of a strike.Who do theses rules benefit?
The owner? The jockey? the trainer? the punter?

You should have gone for a treble to really get your point over fallon,s

or none of the above?

This could very well happen when a jock gets banned for winning a Classic.....make no mistake it's only a matter of time.

he would be compensated in stud fee %

Dod,Seriously who do the rules benefit?.Young fox was stripped of everything the other day for winning a short head.Harry Bentley on the other hand was woeful and lives to fight another day.We are punishing triers and this has to stop,Obviously nobody wants to see horses smashed for nothing,However if your in with a chance of winning why should a jockey be forced not to win in case he/she is punished severely? I would be in favour of a strike.And I would call for a strike before the grand national.