Racing Victoria has announced new penalty guidelines for breaches of the whip rule that will come into effect on August 1.
The new guidelines outline what penalty each breach will garner. It is only for flat races and the final penalties will still ultimately be decided by the stewards.
The minimum meeting suspension for certain offences can be anywhere between seven and 15 meetings. The guidelines refer to the number of strikes prior to the final 100m, depending on how many strikes are made throughout the totality of the race.
Check out the new system below…
Jamie Stier, who is Racing Victoria’s integrity boss, apple about the introduction of the new guidelines.
“We note the use of the whip and associated breaches of the national rules garners much debate, including in recent times a focus on the penalties being applied,” he said.
“All riders are expected to compete in accordance with the national rules and to that end, they should not use their whip outside the permitted limits. Should they do so and breach the whip rules then appropriate penalties are important for ongoing deterrence.
“Following extensive consultation with the VJA (Victorian Jockeys Association), we are providing a new set of penalty guidelines from 1 August which provide greater clarity for all parties, serve as an important deterrence and ensure that the Stewards retain some flexibility to consider the circumstances of the race and the rider’s record.
“It is important to note that these guidelines reflect the minimum starting point for considerations on penalties to be imposed and that the Stewards will ultimately deliver penalties that they feel are appropriate in all the circumstances to encourage compliance to the rules.”
