BHA | Horse Racing Free Tips

BHA Issues Update On Whip Project

The Whip Consultation Steering Group is discussing possible recommendations stemming from the three-month consultation period last summer, the British Horseracing Authority said in an update on the whip consultation project on Thursday. This stage of the project has been slightly delayed due to Covid complications, and is now expected to be completed towards the end of winter, with the proposals scheduled to be considered by the BHA board in April. After a period of adjustments, the full report and recommendations is to be published in May, with any new rules expected to come into affect in the autumn.

The steering group is comprised of experts from across the racing industry and wider sectors including politics, horse welfare and the media.

Once the steering group's recommendations are complete, they will be discussed with a selection of relevant individuals and bodies before being finalised and presented to the BHA board.

The post BHA Issues Update On Whip Project appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Raceday Covid Restrictions To Be Eased In England

Raceday Covid restrictions-like face coverings and Covid Status Certification-are set to be eased in England from Jan. 27. Face coverings on racecourses will be strongly encouraged but not enforced, while the courses will drop the government-mandated Covid Status Certification requirement that applied to race meetings with over 4,000 attendees. Restrictions will still be applied in the weighing rooms, where a negative lateral flow test is required for entry and social distancing is enforced. Those rules will be re-evaluated no later than Feb. 14.

British Horseracing Authority Chief Medical Adviser Dr Jerry Hill said, “COVID-19 has not gone away, but with cases continuing to fall we have been able to review our existing mitigations and feel that, in line with government guidance in England, we can now recommend rather than mandate the use of face coverings. We must, however, continue to do all we can to protect our business-critical workforce. Testing for weighing room workers remains a necessary precaution, especially as other measures are eased on course and across wider society. This will be kept under continual review; however, through this mechanism, positive cases have been identified in asymptomatic individuals, which might otherwise have resulted in viral transmission in the weighing room.

“We are grateful to jockeys and all weighing room personnel for their ongoing cooperation in this process–the need to protect each other's health and livelihoods is clearly high on everyone's priority list. Of course, vaccination remains the most effective means of protecting ourselves from serious illness and therefore something that is strongly encouraged for all racegoers. It is also sensible for non-weighing room personnel to test regularly to ensure you are not infectious when on course.”

The post Raceday Covid Restrictions To Be Eased In England appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

BHA Raises Jockeys’ Minimum Weights; Removes Covid Allowance

Jockeys riding in Britain will receive a general weight increase of two pounds for most races. The change is permanent and replaces the three-pound Covid allowance that was instituted at the start of the pandemic when weighing-room saunas were closed; therefore, the minimum weight will be one-pound less than what it has been throughout the pandemic. Saunas have since been permanently closed.

The minimum weight for flat races has been raised to 8st 2lbs, while the new minimum jump weight is 10st 2lbs. These changes come into effect for flat racing on Mar. 26, and on Apr. 29 for jumps racing. Maximum weights will also increase in line with these changes: the top weight for flat riders will be 10st 2lbs, and 12st for jumps.

Horse Racing Ireland announced in December that Irish jockeys' minimum weights would also be increased, by three pounds for flat riders (8st 7lbs) and by four pounds (10st 7 lbs) for jump jockeys.

Dr. Jerry Hill, chief medical advisor of the BHA, said, “The closure of saunas on our racecourses represents a significant step forward for jockey wellbeing and a permanent raising of the minimum weight, while protecting competitiveness by raising the maximum weight, is the correct response to that development. I am grateful for the input received from the industry's participants, and in particular the clear message sent by jockeys regarding their support to see the use of saunas on racedays come to an end. Our jockeys are athletes who should be primed to perform to the best of their ability like any other. Shedding pounds by dehydrating in a sauna minutes before being given the leg-up onto a horse is not the best way to ensure that is the case.”

Jockey Richard Kingscote spoke about the changes on At The Races on Tuesday, and he said, “I don't want to speak for all jockeys, but collectively everyone's not very happy. We were given a questionnaire vote, which everyone responded too and said we're happy to remove the saunas if keep our allowance. The saunas have already been ripped out, and we're not keeping our allowance. The two pounds might help on a maiden, but it's not going to help in handicaps. For many of us we're back to square one, so I think people feel as if they're giving with one hand and taking away with the other. It's a bit frustrating that we were kept in the dark. No one in there heard anything about it until today, so I think everyone's a little bit miffed.”

Dale Gibson, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Jockeys Association, said, “The PJA has been working with the BHA and NTF to agree the revised weight structure, which has required compromise from all parties. Some jockeys are concerned that their body weight has naturally increased during the lengthy COVID period where the 3lb allowances was utilised, however we will continue to monitor the forthcoming weight structure closely, including specific race conditions alongside stakeholders and the Racing Department team.

“We welcome the reintroduction of the winter weight allowance for flat jockeys, which was successfully introduced in 2013. The PJA continues to provide weight management support to all professional jockeys, which remains readily accessible via the nutrition team, in conjunction with exercise programs available at the IJF centres.”

The post BHA Raises Jockeys’ Minimum Weights; Removes Covid Allowance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Jockey Robbie Dunne Appeals 18-Month Bullying Ban

Jockey Robbie Dunne, last month found guilty of bullying female rider Bryony Frost over a sustained period, has lodged an official appeal with the British Horseracing Authority, reports the Racing Post. A disciplinary panel handed Dunne an 18-month ban for four breaches of rule (J)19, conduct prejudicial to racing; the last three months of the ban were stayed.

“The independent judicial panel has received an appeal from the representatives of Robbie Dunne in relation to the finding and penalty imposed on him by the disciplinary panel after its recent hearing,” reads at statement from the BHA. “The independent judicial panel will now convene an appeal board for the hearing and liaise with representatives of all parties regarding a potential date for the hearing, which will be communicated in due course.”

The chair of the disciplinary panel, Brian Barker, issued the following statement after the decision was handed down in December: “We are unable to accept Mr. Dunne's sweep of denials, criticisms and his reasoning. The tenor and type of language that we find was used towards Ms. Frost is totally unacceptable, whatever the frustrations about her style and whatever the habits of the weighing room. They fall squarely within the ambit of the prohibition set out in the rule.”