BROWNIE'S BLOG: WE MUST PROTECT THE RACING PRODUCT BY WHATEVER MEANS ARE DEEMED NECESSARY

By Damian Browne | Thursday, July 9, 2020

The announcement on Wednesday that Racing NSW stewards will enforce an immediate ban on racehorses entering the state from Victoria obviously represents a major decision.

While racing has done a great job to keep going through the Covid 19 outbreak, it has never been ‘business as usual’ and this latest development is just another example of how racing has had to continually remould its product in the face different levels of threat posed by Covid 19 at different times.

Racing Victoria is not happy about this outcome but the bigger picture overrides all else. It goes without saying that we knew the Melbourne Cup carnival was going to be affected in some way or another but, with the exceptional, trying times that Victoria is going through at the moment, I would have thought it is best to take what some might see as extreme precautions.

Even though I don’t know if that is the right thing to do doing or not … I’m not an expert on the subject … to me, it is the logical thing to do.

We want racing to continue in whatever way is possible and that objective would obviously be put under threat if the latest spike in Covid 19 cases got out of Victoria. There is a chance it could cost everybody so, I’m all in favour of being cautious.

The bottom line is that while we are still able to provide some product, we have got to be able to protect that product by whatever means deemed necessary.

Everybody will not always agree with the steps taken. I think even in general, in the community, some people were saying it was an overreaction shutting everything down and things like that but, where would we have been now without those precautions?

The old saying comes into play, I guess, ‘it is better to be safe than sorry.’
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While I believe it still has to be ratified, it has been reported that the Victorian Jockeys Association have agreed to a new standardised system for whip penalties.

That was never the major problem with the controversial whip rule and, in my opinion. I don’t think this agreement changes anything or serves any real purpose.

It is concerning in a way that the penalties that will apply are the point of focus. The big-ticket number with the whip rule has always been, and remains, the fact that if somebody breaks the rule to win … they shouldn’t be winning. It’s as simple as that!

Giving a jockey who has breached the whip rule and won a race a $1000 fine or a $10 000 fine, or giving them a two week suspension or a four week suspension … whatever … does that help the punter or the owners of a horse, ridden within the rules, who finished second when beaten by a horse whose rider has broken the rules?

The most important thing in terms of integrity is the result of the race and, if you can sometimes blatantly flout a rule and still win, I’m not certain where integrity sits in that process.

Allow a whip rule protest … uphold it if a rule has blatantly been broken … or change the rule.

There is no rocket science involved in knowing what needs to be done!
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I will be at the Sunshine Coast feature race meeting on Saturday. It will be really good to be back at what is the Sunshine Coast’s premier meeting of the year.

It will be a nice touch celebrating the memory of a champion with the Winx Guineas. There is also the Glasshouse and the Bruce McLachlan is still there … but it a shame there is no Caloundra Cup.

That said, the Sunshine Coast Turf Club looks set for a good day’s racing and, for all of those who might be coming out of racing hibernation and getting back to the track for first time in some time, I hope you all have a really enjoyable day.

I plan to do just that!

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