Racing: Website sets off tipping probe

By MIKE DILLON

Racing officials are investigating whether a new online jockeys' information service contravenes regulations.

Australia's Thoroughbred Racing Board is questioning whether an internet site, which went online on Tuesday and includes information from six New Zealand jockeys, can be judged to be a tipping service rather than information based.

Jockeys are forbidden to tip under racing's regulations.

Eight leading Australian jockeys and Lance O'Sullivan, Michael Walker, Mark Sweeney, Noel Harris, Vinny Colgan and Michael Coleman from New Zealand provide through the internet, pre-race and post-race comments on each of their mounts for a Saturday race meeting.

The Australian jockeys are Larry and Jim Cassidy, Brian York, Chris Munce, Darren Beadman, Corey Brown, Danny Beasley and Allan Robinson.

"We are confident this will not be judged a tipping service," says Bruce Sharrock, Michael Walker's manager and brother of Taranaki trainer Allan Sharrock, to whom Walker is apprenticed.

Sharrock set up the service in conjunction with a mate in Sydney, a technology buff who races a handful of horses.

"All the jockeys will be doing is making a comment on each of their Saturday mounts, much the same as they do now on Trackside television.

"Then, after the race, they will comment on how the horses raced.

"There is no way that can be seen as tipping."

Within 24 hours of the website, racewebb.com, going online, there were 7000 hits without even the first bulletin of comments for the race meetings.

"They came from all round the world, but predominantly through Australia and New Zealand," said Sharrock.

The value for the jockeys was the exposure to potential sponsorship.

"Already, after the first day, I fielded a call from someone in Australia looking to do a personal sponsorship deal with Brian York," said Sharrock.

* * *

Cent Home is going to do something unusual at Trentham on Saturday - race in a handicap.

New Zealand's second-best galloper behind Sunline has yet to run in an open handicap.

That will be remedied in the group one $130,000 Holden Thorndon Mile.

A bit more than two years ago when he made his first dash for glory, Cent Home went straight from PQ class to winning the group one Kelt Capital Stakes.

"He has raced only in weight-for-age races since and hasn't even looked at a handicap," said part-owner and trainer Jim Wallace.

Cent Home will carry 57.5kg topweight on Saturday.

"But it won't be easy," said Wallace. "He has to give a stone [5kg] to the likes of Hail and that's a tough ask."

Wallace is delighted the Trentham track will be firm, but with a good sole of grass.

Immediately after the Thorndon, Wallace will confirm his intention for Cent Home to tackle the $S1 million 1800m International race in Singapore in March.

He has Cent Home booked on a flight to Melbourne for the Orr Stakes after Saturday.

Yesterday Cent Home was at what looked to be a lucrative $7 at fixed odds for the Thorndon.

The full market:

$6 Burton, Hail, $6.50 Irish Rover, $7 Cent Home, $8.50 Giovana, $12 So Casual, Emerald Dream, $14 Tit For Taat. $16 Travellin' Man.

Ngaio shortened in from $35 to $25 yesterday following the announcement Scott Seamer had landed the ride.

The latest cup market:

$5.50 Soldier Blue, Blanchard

$6.50 Cyclades

$7 Ebony Honor

$10 On Call

$12 Emayr, Semper Fidelis,

$14 Uncle, Narousa,

$16 Trafalgar Flyer

$20 Gordon's

$25 Ngaio.

* * *

No longer will a winner be able to be relegated because of a protest from a horse placed fifth or further back.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing resolved last week to promote an amendment to Rule 876 (1).

That means a judicial committee in future will be able to relegate a horse only when:

* The horse being interfered with has been placed in a dividend-bearing position.

* The promotion will result in the horse being promoted ending up in a dividend-bearing place.

* When neither horse has been placed in a dividend-bearing position.

When stakes are paid back to 10th, any horse back to 11th can protest against a runner finishing between fourth and 10th.