Chief steward Terry Bailey puts Caulfield Cup jockeys on notice

Ben Dorries - Friday October 20

Victoria's chief steward Terry Bailey has warned jockeys who breach whip rules in the Caulfield Cup they cannot expect to be riding in the Cox Plate.

Racing Victoria's chief steward Terry Bailey says Caulfield Cup jockeys who flout whip rules cannot expect to be riding in the Cox Plate Photo: Darryl Sherer

Bailey revealed RV stewards have consciously slapped down more suspensions in the last few months for whip breaches, rather than solely enforcing monetary penalties.

Jockeys are limited to using the whip five times before the 100m mark.

Bailey told Racenet any jockey in the Caulfield Cup who flagrantly abused whip rules could not expect to be riding in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley the following Saturday.

"If a rider wants to breach the whip rule in the Caulfield Cup, they just want to have in the back of their mind whether they want to be there on Cox Plate day or not," Bailey said.

"Certainly in the last couple of months we have stepped up suspensions for whip breaches, we believe that is more of a deterrent (than a fine) for riders who breach the rules.

"If they get it wrong by a couple we do take into account the totality of the whip use inside the last 100m.

"But once they are getting up into that nine or 10 strikes area they are being suspended. There have been quite a few riders suspended for that in recent times."

As recently as last Saturday, apprentice Ben Allen was suspended for six meetings for whipping Group II Herbert Power Stakes winner Lord Fandango five times more than permitted before the last 100m of the race.

Allen is available to ride Lord Fandango in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday, but any whip suspensions coming out of the Caulfield Cup are likely to be stiffer given it is a Group I, $3 million race.

Bailey said jockeys were always entitled to look at the film for potential whip protests but conceded it would take an enormous whip rule breach for stewards to consider upholding a whip protest.

Queensland came under the national spotlight for upholding a whip protest last year when Stonecast was awarded a race after dead-heating with Rosella at the Sunshine Coast.

But seeing a whip protest upheld during the spring carnival appears unlikely.

"I would have to say it would have to be a fairly gross breach of the rule before we would consider amending placings," Bailey said.

"But if we are faced with it we will look at it.

"Jockeys have the right to look at the film if they feel aggrieved and they are entitled to lodge a (whip) objection.

"But the big question is how you equate the nature of the breach to the winning margin – and does it (excessive whip use) make the horse go faster?"

Advertisment
More Reading...
Arriving Home Goes Two for Two – Three-Quarter Brother for MM 2025
Talented I Am Invincible filly Arriving Home does her best work on the line and we saw it when she scored on debut at Warwick Farm earlier this month and again when she got there in the last stride to win at Randwick on Saturday.
$250,000 Magic Millions Debut Friday Night – Sale Mail
A field of 10 unraced juveniles will get the chance to go straight into the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a win in tonight’s $250,000 Magic Millions Debut (1000m), so who are the contenders?
Is He the Next Via Sistina or Buckaroo?
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way in Gilded Water (GB) going two for two in Australia with a cavalier win at Randwick on Saturday.
Hong Kong Summed Up - Dec 22 - Brave Smash Winning Double
A double for Brave Smash, including a new winner, also new winners for Hellbent and Kermadec, and three yearling catalogue updates amongst seven Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Friday December 20
Here is the full list of 71 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sad Passing Uncle Mo
A regular shuttler to Coolmore Australia in the first four years of his stud career, leading US sire and brilliant racehorse Uncle Mo was euthanised in Kentucky on Thursday at age 16 on veterinary advice following an injury to his left foreleg.
Little Brose to Stand at Little Avondale
Arguably there is no better stallion making race in Australasia than Victoria's only Gr.1 event for two-year-olds, the Blue Diamond Stakes, and when you add the hottest bloodline in the Southern Hemisphere to the mix, you have an exciting stallion prospect. 
Sires With Winners - Sunday December 22
Here is the full list of 54 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Thursday December 19
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stakes Racing Catalogue Updates Last Week
A dozen stakes updates in the past week into catalogues for yearlings coming up.