Alterations to Clarify Rule 151 – the “non-triers” Rule

Published: 6 March 2000

With effect from the beginning of the Flat turf season trainers and jockeys found guilty of not running a horse on its merits or of not obtaining the best possible placing will be punished under a different numbered rule.

Explaining the changes to Rule 151, the Jockey Club’s Director of Regulation, Malcolm Wallace, said:

“Whilst having a single all-embracing rule has its attractions, it cannot be right for just one rule to cover everything from deliberately stopping a probable winner to a rider carelessly dropping his hands and forfeiting fourth place. Although under the current system different penalties reflect the varying severity of each offence, in the eyes of the public all jockeys and trainers are in breach of the ‘non-triers rule’, even when a breach is due solely to a misjudgement by the rider. The new lay-out aims to clarify the situation, so that only when there is a breach of Rule 157 could the term ‘non-trier’ be fairly applied.”

The Stewards of the Jockey Club have approved plans to introduce three new rules for categories of riding offence and to also transfer the responsibilities of the owner and trainer to a separate rule (Rule 155). Despite the introduction of these new rules the requirements for the owner, trainer and rider have not changed and an offence under the current ruling will receive the same punishment after March 23rd, but under the heading of a different rule.

The three new categories of riding offence for where a rider has failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that his horse is given a full opportunity to win or of obtaining the best possible placing can be outlined as follows:

 Rule 156 covers specific instances which arise as a result of an error of judgement on the part of the rider e.g. dropping hands thereby losing one of the first four places, or a rider mistaking the race distance or riding a finish a circuit too soon.

 Rule 157 deals with cases where a horse is ridden with the intention of concealing its true ability or affecting the result of the race.

 Rule 158 deals with other cases not covered by the points above, e.g. schooling and conditioning in public, an ill-judged ride or prematurely easing an unplaced horse.

Monday March 6th 2000

Notes for Editors:

1. As a result of the changes, Rule 151 now deals with Walk Overs, and Rules 156 – 159 (Dead Heats) have been compressed into one rule, namely 159.

2. The revised rules are printed in full below:

Rule 155
i. Every horse which runs in a race shall be run on its merits.

ii. It shall be the duty of a Trainer to ensure that adequate instructions to achieve the objective contained in Sub-Rule (i) above are given to the Rider of any horse in his care. No Owner, Registered Agent of a Recognised Company, or Trainer shall give any instructions to the Rider of any horse which if obeyed could or would prevent the horse from winning a race or of obtaining the best possible placing, neither shall they, its Rider or any other person prevent or try to prevent in any way any horse from winning a race or of obtaining the best possible placing.

iii. Where any Rider is found in breach of Rule 157 or 158 the Trainer of the horse in question shall be deemed to be in breach of Sub-Rule (ii) and guilty of an offence, unless the Trainer satisfies the Stewards or the Stewards of the Jockey Club that the Rider failed to comply with the instructions given to him under Sub-Rule (ii) of this Rule which, if followed, should have enabled the Rider to have obtained the best possible placing and in this event the Trainer shall be found not to have been in breach of Sub-Rule(ii).

Rule 156 – Where, in the opinion of the Stewards or the Stewards of the Jockey Club, a horse has not achieved its best possible placing because one of the circumstances detailed below arose by reason of an error of judgement on the part of its Rider, the Rider shall be deemed in breach of this Rule and guilty of an offence.

The said circumstances are:-
i. failing to ride out approaching the finish by dropping hands;
ii. mistaking the race distance and either riding a finish too early or failing to ride a finish;
iii. taking the wrong course.

Rule 157 – Where, in the opinion of the Stewards or the Stewards of the Jockey Club, a Rider has failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that his horse is given a full opportunity to win or of obtaining the best possible placing with the intention of concealing the true ability of the horse or affecting the result of the race the Rider shall be deemed in breach of this Rule and guilty of an offence.

Cont’d

Rule 158 – Where, in the opinion of the Stewards or the Stewards of the Jockey Club, a Rider has failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that his horse is given a full opportunity to win or of obtaining the best possible placing but the Stewards or the Stewards of the Jockey Club are not satisfied the circumstances specified in Rule 156 or 157 apply the Rider shall be deemed in breach of this Rule and guilty of an offence.

March 6th 2000