Banning Ride Guide missed opportunity: AJA
The Australian Jockeys Association says racing is losing an opportunity to promote the sport by banning the controversial digital service Ride Guide.
Jockeys were told on Thursday they would be in breach of the rules if they gave their views on upcoming rides via the Ladbrokes betting site.
Victorian and NSW stewards, who met with jockeys’ representatives and media company Unscriptd on Tuesday, said there were genuine perception issues if jockeys were being paid by a wagering operator.
But AJA general manager Des O’Keeffe said he hoped further talks could be held with authorities.
“…as an industry, we are well behind other sports in embracing important opportunities to increase our appeal and exposure,” O’Keeffe said.
“At a number of meetings between industry officials and those behind Ride Guide, the concept had been embraced and endorsed by industry regulators, so it was pretty stunning to hear so many concerns raised after the launch last week.
“I left Tuesday’s meeting confident that Unscriptd had successfully addressed all concerns and that our jockeys would be able to continue promote our sport in a fully professional way that met all integrity obligations.”