Officialdom might not like jockeys talking to each other, but how are you going to stop it?
And what can they do to Greg Childs for allegedly discussing race tactics with fellow Australian-based rider Justin Sheehan before Sunline's eclipse of Sunday's $2.65 million Hong Kong Mile.
Childs has been told to "stand
by" by the Hong Kong Jockey Club stewards after a Sydney Morning Herald newspaper article quoted him as saying that he "devised a race plan with Justin Sheehan," who rode third-placed Adam.
Deputy steward Jamie Stier said the club might want to open an inquiry into the affair when chief steward John Schreck returns from a break in a couple of days.
Childs is quoted as saying that he told Sheehan: "Look, we can't cut each other's throat and challenge for the lead.
"I told Justin to follow me."
Stier said it was against the rules in Hong Kong for jockeys to collude before a race. "It is not permissible," he said.
Okay, it is plain where they are coming from - you don't want races orchestrated, and with betting volume such as it is in Hong Kong, everything needs to be seen to be squeaky clean.
But for something such as the Sunday incident to have serious repercussions, malpractice has to be proven.
Sheehan is hard-nosed as well as astute. He did not need Childs to tell him that taking Sunline on in front with Adam was going to make his horse breathless.
Sheehan knew Adam could not beat Sunline. He tucked Adam into the trail and rode for a place. Smart, not colluding.
There is no specific rule against jockeys discussing race tactics in Australia, but it is widely accepted that they should not.
In New Zealand there is no rule and it has never been an issue.
And what do you do - watch for jockeys talking while waiting to go into the barriers? They could be arranging a fishing trip.
In a race it is common for a rider to range up outside the leader and ask a colleague if he is serious about keeping the lead. If all else fails, Childs could claim the line that is the bane of journalists: "I was misquoted."
