Chief Stipe

Where have I stated that in my opinion the whip rules are being adhered to? Or for that matter that they are being policed correctly? I haven't. However my opinion is that the rules as they are now are difficult to enforce. Which leads to a perception of inconsistency. What I do take issue with is individuals with a bee in their bonnet sitting at home riding their Lazy-Boy and trawling through replays looking for rule breakers. Then to prove their point selectively taking snapshots of pictures out of context and posting them online. Not only do we have below average armchair Jockeys bashing real Jockeys but they are bashing the sport of racing. "Oh but if they didn't do it we wouldn't have any pictures to take". Send the pictures to the Stipes but don't think you are taking the moral high ground by posting them online to feed the anti-racing mob. Sure debate the issues - go hard at it.

Like what for example?

A phrase made popular by a gallivanting writer of fiction? The number of wins and the strike rate are statisitcal facts. Now if I said based on statistics Joe Bloggs is the best trainer ever I'm using those statistics to substantiate a subjective opinion. I assume to make it fair for all the hard done by South Island Trainers, who only have 650 races a year to contest, that any wins they got in the North Island shouldn't be counted.

No it isn't. Complain immediately to the Stipes. Make a complaint now. Ask for an explanation. Don't put the offending Jockeys on your horses. Do they? Google "James Macdonald Jockey whip penalty" and you will see has a very long list of crimes as do ALL the top Jockeys. Also observe how many Jockeys hold their whip in the hand away from the camera and switch hands depending on the racecourse direction.

Even the great Cassidy couldn't get it right! Jim Cassidy rides four winners at Rosehill before copping five-week suspension for whip offences www.foxsports.com.au @Comic Dog Jim Cassidy came crashing back to earth with a five-week suspension for whip offences after dominating the day at Rosehill with four winners on Saturday. The champion jockey brought up his fourth win on the John O'Shea-trained Lightinthenite to move to the top of the Sydney premiership but was later hit with a two-week suspension for his overuse of the whip in winning the event. Cassidy used the whip on 12 occasions before the 100m mark on Lightinthenite which was seven more than permitted, including seven times in consecutive strides. It only got worse from there with the jockey also outed for another three weeks for striking fourth-placed Zara Dancer on 17 occasions prior to the 100-metre mark in the final race of the day which was 12 more than permitted, including 11 times in consecutive strides. "I'm disappointed in myself. I had a blackout," Cassidy told stewards before pleading guilty to four whip offences. The 48-year-old's suspension is set to start immediately and he can return to the saddle on December 18, the day after the Villiers Stakes meeting at Warwick Farm. It was Cassidy's fifth offence since March for using the whip more than five times before the 100m mark and his sixth and seventh offences for using the whip in consecutive strides. Chief steward Ray Murrihy said it was "quite a blatant disregard of the whip rule". "We can't have a situation where someone decides they don't apply," Murrihy said. "I'm at a loss to understand the most senior rider here showing a blatant disregard for the rule." Earlier, Cassidy said he was proud of himself for being able to ride through the pain barrier after struggling with rib cartilage damage that forced him to stand down after one race the previous Saturday. Cassidy opened his day with victory on the John O'Shea-trained Golden Slipper prospect Faustus in the Nova 969 Fitzy & Wippa Handicap (1100m). Colorado Claire gave Cassidy and O'Shea an early double when she maintained her unbeaten record with a third straight win in the Bacardi Handicap (1400m). Cassidy made it three on the Darren Smith-trained Oakfield Beauty before combining again with O'Shea on Lightinthenite in the Jacob's Creek Sparkling Moscato Handicap (1500m). "I'm proud of myself and proud of Vic (wife Vicki) because she has babysitted me all week and helped with icing the injury every night to make sure we were here today."

FFS have you got Superman eyes? Now you are taking 2 second clips out of context.

Interesting that this photo was published in the Riccarton Racebook. Funny how most peceptions are biased and the statistics prove otherwise. It wasn't that long ago that a few commentators were saying things like "I bet the South Island (Te Akau) stable is not making a cent for the owners...does anybody know how many winners they have had in the SI this year with horses trained there????" With 46 wins in the South Island to date it would seem Te Akau's strike rate holds firm in the South as well as the north. Statistics don't lie.

The following two pictures were posted by @Thomass to supposedly highlight whip abuse. They are snapshots presumably taken from a TV replay of the race. They were posted in the largest possible format allowed on BOAY - no doubt to emphasise the point being made. It is questionable that the horse is being hit on the flank (defined as the area between the ribs and the hip - not sure what the racing rule definition is) or that the pictures are even in close sequence. The first picture is chosen to create a visual impression of extreme force - the second picture suggests that force was exerted on the flank of the horse. Now look at these pictures in the context of what the "normal" viewer sees on Trackside in the no more than two minutes it takes for the broadcast of the race before Trackside broadcast the next race from some remote location in Australia. Watch the video below at normal speed or even slow motion. Bearing in mind that the only way a Steward could see how the whip was used and the number of strikes for every individual is to sit in a bunker watching a High Definition video in ultra slow motion. Now go back and count every whip strike and location of the strike for every Jockey. What's more do you think and Animal Rights Activist who doesn't like racing would have seen anything unless something had been snapshotted out context? Greyhound Racing created a rod for their backs with the creation of KPI's that they had no way of influencing beyond a certain point or at all. I hope Horse Racing doesn't do the same.

As for making the rules gender neutral you are right that it isn't a big deal however they now align with other legislation and any ambiguity (there was some) has been removed. At the end of the day the change wasn't trumpeted on Trackside or a major media release but was circulated in an industry official notice to licensee's. Some have chosen to weaponise it with statements like "haven't NZTR and suits got anything better to do". The point I'd make is well done NZTR for doing it and now please start remove other ambiguities and get some consistency between the codes on important things like licensee penalties and horse drug testing.

Harness have Drivers not Jockeys. What incident are you referring to?

Thinking about this table it proves those who allege Te Akau have an appalling strike rate in the South Island are well wide of the mark. Not so much here but elsewhere. I'm sure there have been more winners for Te Akau in the last three weeks in the South - so their total must be getting close to 50. Hunter Durant does a fine job down there at Riccarton and actually rides work in the mornings. Footnote: @Comic Dog Te Akau SI wins are now 46.

So much for your money laundering accusation - doh!!

Bad night on the punt @Forbury ? AGAIN!

About time.

Fair enough. I don't agree with the base supposition but if you want to address it then don't do it on an online forum. You are just feeding the "Crazies" as @Comic Dog says. And the Journalists! I've seen that happen on BOAY's Greyhound forum. KEEP TALKING TO THOSE THAT ENFORCE THE RULES.

But you are producing the ammo?

I'd aim for 15%. Which is 6.7 strike rate?

So on that basis some of the photos posted are misleading at best. But let's not drum up traffic with emotion.

Is that from the rules?

Apparently @curious you are "giving the crazies ammunition. What do you say to that?

Here we go again...sigh. What is the definition of flank in the rules?

In my opinion it proves nothing. A high definition slow motion replay may very well do that. But a screen shot of one video frame or part of a frame doesn't prove Jack. We don't even know the source of the video. What's more what is the Jockey doing with his or her whip in the other hand? I gather you and @curious won't be putting Joe Doyle up anytime soon?

Define flank? Between the ribs and the hip?

That picture proves SFA but I see @Comic Dog stole it so he can sing to the crickets.

Each to their own. But if I didn't win a race in 20 starts I'd be looking for another horse and probably a new trainer.