TRAINERS WEIGH IN ON LIGHT JOCKEYS
THE National Trainers Federation is to raise concerns with the British Horseracing Authority after two unexplained incidents this week of jockeys weighing in lighter than they weighed out. Both have left potential question marks about the equipment used for weighing out jockeys, a fundamental of a sport in which pounds and ounces can mean the difference between winning and losing. In both of this week’s cases, the jockeys were banned for two days and the trainers fined £500. On Wednesday, Lucinda Russelltrained The Road Home was disqualified after finishing second in a two-horse novices’ hurdle at Musselburgh when his rider Derek Fox weighed in two pounds light at 11st 5lb, having weighed out at 11st 7lb. The same scenario occurred 24 hours later when jockey Patrick Cowley weighed in after finishing third at Leicester on Laura Morgan-trained Skipping On. NTF chief executive Rupert Arnold said: ‘There is strict liability in terms of the breach of the rules so there is not much point in appealing. We will raise this with the BHA to see if we can discover any common denominators as to why it might have happened. ‘It is important to look at the digital scales because there have bbeen issues of calibration in the past.’ Grand National-winning trainer Russell said: ‘My staff have tried to work out what happened at Musselburgh but nobody can find an explanation. ‘It is disappointing but more concerning is the lack of a conclusion. Without that we don’t know if it could happen again, possibly in higher-profile races.’