‘TOTTING-UP’ SUSPENSION LIMITS TO BE INCREASED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS AND WORK CONTINUES ON JOCKEYS’ SPONSORSHIP
Published: Wednesday 06 Jun 2007
The Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) has announced that it will be raising the number of suspension days a jockey must have served before being referred under the HRA’s ‘totting-up’ procedure.
The limit will be increased from 20 days to 24 days for both types of riding offences that are covered under the procedure, interference and misuse of the whip. It is the first time the limit has been increased since 2003.
Explaining the increase, Malcolm Wallace, Director of Regulation for the HRA, said, “It has always been our policy to review the ‘totting-up’ procedure at the end of every season, which was the plan for this year and we had already acknowledged that it was quite possible there would be an increase.
“Following discussions with Kevin Darley, in his role as one of the Presidents of the Jockeys Association, and with my team, we think it is correct to raise the limits with effect from Friday 8th June.
“There has been a 16% increase in the volume of racing in the last five years and we thought it only fair that the limits should be raised in line with this increase, not withstanding the recently introduced restrictions on the number of meetings in a week a jockey can ride at.
“Additionally, when a jockey is referred under the ‘totting-up’ procedure, instead of automatically receiving a minimum 14 day suspension, the Disciplinary Panel will also take into account the volume of rides during the previous 12 months.”
In a separate development, the HRA and JAGB met yesterday to discuss jockeys’ sponsorship and it was agreed that a final paper on Jockeys’ sponsorship would be presented to the HRA Board in July.
Paul Struthers, PR Manager for the HRA, said, “The Board have already agreed in principal that jockeys’ sponsorship should mirror owners’ sponsorship in allowing betting and gaming companies to sponsor as long as a minimum number of 50 jockeys are involved in any deal.
“We will be working closely with the JAGB over the next few weeks to finalise the necessary revisions to the rules and establish exactly how the scheme will be centrally managed by the JAGB, as it’s vital that the integrity of the sport is not impacted by any deal, which we are confident it won’t be.”
Ann Saunders, Company Secretary for the JAGB, said, “The volume of racing has increased significantly during the last five years and we welcome the HRA’s decision to raise the ‘totting-up’ threshold now, rather than waiting until the end of the season. However, we feel further progress can still be made and we will therefore be seeking further dialogue with the HRA in this area.
“We are also pleased that we are continuing to progress the issue of jockeys’ sponsorship, and that the HRA recognise that jockeys should have parity with owners in order to maximise the commercial opportunities available.”
6th June 2007
For more information, please contact Paul Struthers, PR Manager for the HRA, on 0207 189 3866 or 07966 590105. To contact Ann Saunders of the JAGB please call 01635 44102.
Notes for Editors:
1. The ‘totting-up’ rules were introduced in 1996, replacing the system whereby every third offence (and fourth, fifth etc) resulted in a referral to the Disciplinary Panel.
The limit began at 12 in 1996 and was raised to 15 in 1997 and 20 in 2003.
There is one ‘totting-up’ total for interference and a separate one for whip offences. Suspensions incurred under interference or whip count towards for one rolling year. For example, if a jockey incurred a 3 day suspension on the 8th June 2007, this would stop counting for ‘totting-up’ purposes from 8th June 2008.
