Insurance magazine

ASPIRING apprentices in NSW have been banned from riding in barrier trials after an insurance wrangle came to light following a fall at Queanbeyan last week.

Four young riders at Newcastle were stood down yesterday from competing at the Broadmeadow trials, with Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy saying it was due to public liability concerns.

“Unfortunately it’s been exposed that when the system of when a rider became indentured as an apprentice was changed, an insurance issue has arisen with regards to public liability,” Murrihy said. “We only became aware of it after last Monday when young Adam Hyronimus fell in a Queanbeyan trial. He is OK but subsequent inquiries exposed some deficiencies as far as insurance goes.”

Riders training to be apprentices need to ride in 20 trials before allowed to ride in races. Blake Spriggs, son of Newcastle jockey Dale Spriggs, along with Alexandra Stokes, Hayley Mulheron and Clare Pettigrew were all due to ride in trials yesterday but had to stand down.

“We hope to speedily address the issue of insurance and after meeting with Paul Innes of the NSW Jockeys’ Association today we are hopeful of a resolution in the next 48 hours,” Murrihy said.

“The matter needs to be remedied as soon as possible as it is very necessary that these aspiring apprentices ride in open trials against the senior riders.

“But with the way things are at present, had we allowed them to ride at Newcastle when we are aware there are insurance issues, well, that might have exposed the race clubs and Racing NSW to legal action in the case of any injury.”

Pettigrew works for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees and was to have her first trial yesterday, while the 15-year-old Spriggs, with trainer Steve Hodge, has ridden in seven trials and is set to head to Melbourne trainer Tony Vasil for his apprenticeship.

Meanwhile, Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’Landys yesterday met Australian Jockey Club counterpart Norman Gillespie and major race sponsors David Jones and Emirates to discuss next year’s AJC autumn carnival.

Some race rescheduling is needed due to the shortened and delayed carnival following the equine flu outbreak.

In a bid to keep both sponsors happy, the David Jones AJC Australian Derby may be moved to the last Saturday of the carnival on May 3 from its original date of April 26, at which meeting the Emirates Doncaster could be run.

NSW Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, announced yesterday that 66 horses had been cleared to travel from NSW to Victoria for a sale.

“This is the first legal movement of horses into Victoria since the [equine flu] outbreak and more will follow, not only thoroughbreds but horses from other equine disciplines,” Macdonald said.

“This group of 66 horses is the first to meet tough new interstate travel biosecurity protocols.

“Their movement is in line with policies from the national consultative committee on exotic animal diseases and is consistent with the national campaign to control and eradicate EI.

“Each has previously been infected by horse flu, developed full immunity to the disease and has made a successful recovery back to full health.

“There are strict nationally agreed to protocols for horse movements from NSW to Victoria, which these animals have met.”