November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dominguez: Whip Rules ‘Not Fair To The Rider, The Athletes Out On The Track’

Hall of Fame jockey Ramón Dominguez shared his opinions on the new whip rules in California and New Jersey with horseracing.net this week. The three-time Eclipse Award winner is concerned with both rider safety and wagering integrity.

In California, jockeys may only use the whip in an underhanded fashion and only six times during the running of a race. Dominguez worries that this does not allow riders to maintain a safe environment out on the track.

“Personally, my biggest worry is what happens when the need for a rider to take corrective action to protect himself, as well as the animal, arrives,” Dominguez told J.N. Campbell. “That is not visible to the observer. I think knowing that the jockey may have the predicament of doing what is right 'safety wise,' but possibly faces penalties is uncompromising. Should they take the chance to be proactive or run the risk that may cause a safety problem? That's not fair to the rider, the athletes out on the track or the integrity and future of the sport.”

Like other jockeys, both active and retired, Dominguez is also concerned about racing integrity. New Jersey has implemented the strictest whip rules in the country, with jockeys only allowed to use the whip for safety, not to achieve a better placing.

“As a jockey, other than making sure you keep your mount, yourself, other horses, and fellow riders safe, your main job is to help your horse reach its maximum placing,” Dominguez argued. “In order to do so, while riding a horse with a laid-back demeanor, that wants to only put forth effort according to what's being asked of him, you may sense the need to use the crop. This is a way to incentivize him. Sometimes you have to do this as early as the last three-eighths of a mile. If he is responding well to it, by the time you reach the last sixteenth, your main tool to ensure your horse reaches its maximum placing has been taken away from you. And with that, your likely opportunity to win; this applies not only to you, but to your connections, and equally important, the person who placed a bet on your horse.”

Disruption To Horse Movement From Brexit Deadline

Ahead of the start of the 2021 breeding season, owners and breeders have been warned to avoid to avoid transporting horses between the UK and the EU in the first few weeks of January immediately following the expiry of the Brexit transition period.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Thoroughbred Industries Brexit Steering Group, which is made up of representatives of the British Horseracing Authority, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and Weatherbys, advised against horse movement in the early part of the new year “unless absolutely necessary”.

It continued, “With less than seven weeks to go before the transition period expires, there will be significant changes to how horses move between the UK and the EU from 1 January, irrespective of whether a Free Trade Agreement is signed.”

At present, clarification is still being sought by the group on Britain being granted third country status for animal health purposes, as well as authorisation for British horse transporters to operate in the EU and vice versa, and, crucially, recognition of the General Stud Book, which identifies Thoroughbreds and permits their movements.

The statement read, “Even in the event of agreements on these key areas for British racing being confirmed in the coming weeks, the Thoroughbred Industries Brexit Steering Group is of the view that there will be additional friction in moving thoroughbreds through key ports from 1 January, with the potential for initial disruption.”

Following confirmation of a Free Trade Agreement between the UK and the EU, further clarification will be required in regard to a potential replacement of the current Tripartite Agreement which governs movements of Thoroughbreds between Britain, Ireland and France.

Julian Richmond-Watson, chair of the Thoroughbred Industries Steering Group, said, “We know that some people want to make plans for the New Year, but the picture will remain unclear until we know the terms of any new agreements between Britain and the EU.

“Even if there is an overarching trade deal, we will still need specific arrangements to be agreed covering the movement of thoroughbred horses.

“If industry members want to avoid the risk of delays or disruption, we advise them not to schedule movements in the first two weeks of 2021.

“Our message right now is ‘Stand By, Change is Coming’. We would ask participants to keep up to date with the latest information regularly via the Brexit page on britishhorseracing.com and await direct communication from their membership body once we know the details.

“We continue to work closely with Defra and all other relevant UK government departments, who are well-informed about the needs of the racing and breeding industries. We are also in regular contact with our counterparts in Ireland and France and other EU jurisdictions.”

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OTTB United App Available

OTTB United, a mobile app that unites sellers, buyers, and shippers of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses and gives back to the Thoroughbred placement community was released by the Retired Racehorse Project and OTTB United Tuesday.

The app is also designed to give back to the Thoroughbred placement community: a portion of the premium subscription fee is donated to the Retired Racehorse Project. Subscribers can select from a list of aftercare organizations and for-profit resellers to receive an additional contribution.

“We are so fortunate to partner with the Retired Racehorse Project,” says OTTB United founder Amy Rubin. “The organization’s mission is at the center of everything we want to achieve, and helping off-the-track Thoroughbreds is our number-one goal. The Retired Racehorse Project has strengthened the Thoroughbred community, and it’s our hope that the OTTB United app produced in partnership will unite that community on one platform.”

OTTB United is free to download from Google Play and the App Store. A premium subscription is $4.99 monthly. The app is available in the US and Canada.

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Romanised Camp Still Considering Hong Kong

G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is still a potential candidate for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile at the Longines Hong Kong International Races in mid-December at Sha Tin. Although third when favoured after a slow beginning at Dundalk on Monday, the 5-year-old won the G2 Minstrel S. earlier this year and was sixth in the G1 Prix du Moulin in September. Also a winner of the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, the Ken Condon trainee’s performance has not discouraged his connections.

“I think it served its purpose–it was a prep run and he blew the start,” said Condon of the Robert Ng colourbearer. “Billy [Lee, jockey] had to get him into the race, then he was in his hands a bit. He travelled really well through the race, like we know he can, and went to win his race and just took a blow and got a bit tired. If you take him in isolation, it was an interesting exercise as he’s run his race faster than anything else, if that makes sense.

“If he’d jumped away with them, it would have been a different story. Billy was particularly happy and he’s the one that is the most relevant in this jigsaw.”

He added, “We’ll see how he is in the next week–we don’t have to commit to Hong Kong immediately. But I still think we’re on course and he’ll get something from the race [at Dundalk], as he’d been off the track a while.

“All things considered, it was a solid run. It’s important now to see how he trains in the next week as it’s a long way to go and we want to be going there with a horse in top condition. I was initially disappointed that he got beaten, but after I analysed it closely and watched the race several times and listened to everybody, I think he’s run well.”

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