Racing Victoria moves to ban whip use on horses

Racing Victoria is calling for a national plan to reform, then eventually ban, whip use in racing.

Under the reform, jockeys would carry whips but would only use them for safety purposes.

CEO of Racing Victoria, Giles Thompson, said the change would not impact the competitiveness of racing.

“The races will remain as competitive,” he told Ross and Russel.

“The best horses will still win, with the best jockeys, with the best trainers.

“We think it’s possible. It’s a long road, though, to a total ban.”

Racing Victoria is also seeking a more immediate change to reduce the number of whip strokes allowed per race to between five and eight.

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