Racing: Need for more than leap of faith

Ellerslie's famous water jump is an example of the formidable obstacles in New Zealand. Photo / David White

This image is why we have very few jumping fatalities in New Zealand compared to Australia.

Horses are MADE to jump fences here compared to Australia and they respect the obstacles for their size.

Victoria's matchstick fences are a joke and have led to the situation where the future of jumping will be decided on Monday.

The good oil on the likely decision has ebbed and flowed in recent days.

As recently as Wednesday there looked to be little chance of jumping being allowed to continue, but the latest unofficial tip is that a lifeline will be offered.

John Wheeler, who has always had a strong jumping content in his New Zealand stable and in his Melbourne branch office, has strong thoughts on the animal activists who have created the jumping crisis in Melbourne.

"I'd bar them from racetracks if I ran racing," he said yesterday.

"At Warrnambool last week there were only 20 protesters and 100,000 who went there to enjoy the racing.

"Why should the minority dictate to the majority.

"We had only three fatalities in jumping in New Zealand last year and there will always be casualties.

"But consider this - if you could put 2000 horses in a massive paddock for a year you'd get a 3 per cent attrition rate just with them doing nothing at all."

The very untimely call on Australian jumps racing comes as we run our first two major New Zealand jumping races today, the Waikato Hurdles and Steeplechase at Te Rapa.

Meanwhile, the Racing Victoria board says it wants more information following a series of submissions it received on Thursday.

Jumps racing was suspended indefinitely after the Warrnambool Grand Annual a week earlier, when Clearview Bay became the third horse in a week to die in a jumps race.

There is no jumps racing programmed in Victoria until Sunday week at Mornington, when a $75,000 hurdle and the $75,000 Great Southern Steeplechase are scheduled.

Australian Jumps Racing Association president Rodney Rae said he had no problem with the decision being deferred.

But leading jumps jockey Steve Pateman spoke for many of his colleagues when he said postponement of a decision had left riders nervous about their future.

"This is not Australian Idol, this is our lives," he said.

Chairman Michael Duffy said the board needed more time to digest submissions made by industry stakeholders and animal welfare groups. An extensive report from the jumps review panel also had to be considered.

Rae, leading jumps jockeys Craig Durden and Brett Scott and Warrnambool Racing Club chairman Margaret Lucas addressed the board.

Earlier, a rally of jumps supporters - estimates vary from 600 to 1200 - made a powerful statement to RV.

"It was a fantastic show of strength from all sections of the racing industry and the public who are very passionate about the issue," Rae said.

It is believed all stakeholders in Victoria's industry - the three city clubs, Country Racing Victoria, owners, trainers and bookmakers - came out in strong support of jumps racing. additional reporting AAP