FIRST SHOCK! Jockeys at Ballarat refused to ride after learning the Australian Racing Board had refused to make any changes to those crazy new whip rules. Industrial action is likely to spread like wildfire in the wake of the ARB's 'we're not budging' stance. The Ballarat meeting had to be called off after race 3. Spokesman Glen Boss said jockeys needed to show some strength after all their suggestions about the whip rules were rejected. 'They never listened to one thing we said,' Boss pointed o

FIRST SHOCK! Jockeys at Ballarat refused to ride after learning the Australian Racing Board had refused to make any changes to those crazy new whip rules. Industrial action is likely to spread like wildfire in the wake of the ARB's 'we're not budging' stance. The Ballarat meeting had to be called off after race 3. Spokesman Glen Boss said jockeys needed to show some strength after all their suggestions about the whip rules were rejected. 'They never listened to one thing we said,' Boss pointed out.

Jockeys at Hawkesbury went into a stop work meeting after the running of the 4th race and the meeting was abandoned when they decided to follow their Victorian colleagues and refuse to ride. Ipswich jockeys then decided not not to ride.

Jockeys are now predicting nationwide strike action at the weekend. This could result in major meetings being called off in Sydney and Melbourne. Friday's meetings are in serious doubt.

Members of the Australian Racing Board, headed by Bob Bentley, are coming in for harsh criticism for their 'head in the sand' attitude to the whip rules crisis. Jockeys chief Paul Innes says the ARB's decision has put a cloud over the upcoming spring racing carnival. He says: "Unfortunately the Australia Racing Board has let jockeys and everyone else involved in the industry down today...All we were after was a common sense approach to the whip issue....Jockeys are very happy with the introduction of the padded whips, we're happy to limit the use of the whip prior to the last 100m, but the rules governing whip use in the last 100 metres have to change...We will now go back to jockeys around the country and discuss where we go to from here. We can't rule anything out at this stage....We can't have jockeys worrying about counting the number of times they've moved their whips when they should be concentrating on getting to the line safely....It's just ridiculous.'

Some jockeys are asking the quite legitimate question: How many members of the ARB Board have actually ridden a horse?

The NSW State Government will allow fixed odds betting on all races and is giving in-principle support for the NSWTAB to pool with other Australian totalisators. The initiatives are the Govt's response to the independent review of wagering policy and regulation, known as the Cameron Report.