LARRY'S VIEW - DIFFERENT OPINIONS, YES .. BUT THERE IS NO SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE 'NO BETTING' RULE

By Larry Cassidy | Friday, October 19, 2012

Larry Cassidy currently has forty-two Group 1 successes behind his name. He is a multiple Premiership winning jockey having taken out three titles in Sydney and one in Brisbane. Larry’s View, the personal blog of this top class rider will appear on horseracingonly.com.au every Friday, workload permitting.

One of the main topics of discussion this week has been whether jockeys should be allowed to bet or not.

I’m fifty-fifty on it. That’s not because I enjoy sitting on the fence, but because I think there are two clearly defined, separate situations that can be identified and these, if recognized by authorities, would help dictate when a jockey cannot bet and when he would be allowed to bet.

My argument is that it is best if jockeys are not allowed to bet in a race in which they are riding. I know there are people who say that if jockeys were allowed to bet overall, they obviously could only bet on their own horse when they are participating in a race. It is a no-brainer that it must be against the rules for them to bet on a horse opposing them in a race.

Now that sounds well and good, but if a jockey has a big bet when his horse wins and doesn't bet at all when it doesn’t salute … a jockeys betting returns would have to be readily available to the stewards … how would that play out with the racing public? Not good at all!

So as far as that example is concerned, I don’t think you can do better than the current rule.

Personally, I actually do think jockeys could be allowed to bet on races they are not riding in, but I can immediately acknowledge some concern there as they will still be in the jockey’s room and mixing with the players in the game.

There is no impropriety there as such, but perception is a dangerous thing so, again, while I think this situation differs from that when a jockey is riding in a race I can fully understand why the rule should deny a rider the chance to have a bet in those circumstances.

Where I see as being a completely different situation though is when a jockey is out injured or suspended … ie when they are not competing … then I cannot see why they should not be allowed to place a bet.

When I got suspended a couple of years ago I went to a race meeting. I very rarely go to a race-meeting when I am not riding, but I decided to bring my wife to the Stradbroke meeting. While the social side was pleasant enough, it otherwise turned out to be one of the most boring days I’ve ever had because I wasn’t allowed to have even a passing monetary interest in what was happening on the track.

I’m not competing. I’m not in the jockey’s room, but I can’t bet. It would have been nice to sit at the table and have five or ten dollars on something to have an interest which would have helped me enjoy the day. There’s no harm in that. None whatsoever!

To me that all seems logical enough.

I know this might be a simplistic, surface view but it is clear to me that riding in a race and being on the sidelines (when, for the most part, you are actually not at the track) are two very different scenario’s and the betting rule could possibly be tweaked accordingly without causing too many ripples.

Having said that, let me put the whole matter into perspective.

Look, it is a gambling sport and, like me, most jockeys will have an opinion on the matter of whether jockeys should be allowed to bet or not.

But that is just an opinion. There is no lobbying for change. It’s certainly not a life and death matter to any of us and there is nobody I know who is desperate to get the rule changed.

I, in fact, am only commenting on this matter because of the coverage given to the Damien Oliver story and the amount of statements, opinions and questions that have been received by HRO and directed to me.

You must remember we, as jockeys, know the rules and we are aware of the punishments for any transgressions of the rules when we sign up for the gig.

We have our individual opinions but we also have no real problem with the current all-encompassing rule as it stands regarding jockeys betting on races.

We know the ‘betting’ subject will flare up every now and again and die down just as quickly with, in all probability, nothing changing.

At least, that’s how I see it.

Till next week,
Larry

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