Victorian Jockeys’ Association puts up new jumpout fee proposal

The Victorian Jockeys’ Association is prepared to give in one significant area in its latest proposal to secure jumpout riding fees for its members.

Victorian jockeys have long been in negotiations over a fee for riding in jumpouts at the state’s biggest training centres. Picture: Getty Images.

The Victorian Jockeys’ Association has made a significant concession as part of the negotiations to secure a jumpout riding fee for its members.

A majority of VJA members have not ridden in jumpouts since December 1 last year after growing frustrated with the lack of progress in discussions about the introduction of a fee to ride in jumpouts at the state’s biggest training centres.

VJA chief executive Matt Hyland said the riders were prepared to cut their minimum rides allowance to divert those funds into jumpouts fees, submitting their proposal at a meeting last month.

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Victorian jockeys receive a minimum riding allowance of $100 if booked for three or less rides at a meeting.

“We get $110 for an official trial and we’re doing exactly the same thing in a jumpout but we’re prepared to make that adjustment and we’re prepared to make a contribution,” Hyland said.

“Our proposal was a $50 fee for jumpouts plus super(annuation) for 25,000 individual starters per year across the state.

“That would equate to about $1.5 (million).

“We were prepared to contribute $250,000 of what we would receive through an adjustment to our minimum ride allowance.”

Hyland said he was happy with Racing Victoria’s initial reaction to the proposal in the meeting.

Victorian Jockeys’ Association chief executive Matt Hyland put forward a proposal for jockeys to earn riding fees last month. Picture: Getty Images.

He said RV was considering whether to match the jockeys’ contribution to further reduce the costs to owners and trainers.

“In that meeting, Racing Victoria looked upon it favourably so we’re going to keep discussing it,” Hyland said.

“If Racing Victoria decided to match that amount, the cost would drop.

“The fee would be $50 to the jockey but with our contribution, it would drop to $40 and if Racing Victoria made the same contribution, then the end cost would be 30-something dollars.

“That would be passed on to the trainers or how they wanted to fund it.”

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Hyland said debate about jockeys receiving a fee for jumpouts centred around a small part of the costs of preparing a horse to race every preparation.

“The average horse in training has 2.7 jumpouts per preparation so what we’re arguing over is less than $100 per horse per preparation,” he said.

“We’re arguing about $100 per horse across a preparation.”

Hyland said any jumpout payments to jockeys should also go through Racing Victoria’s central system rather than invoicing the trainers directly as proposed earlier in the negotiations.

“We don’t want to invoice trainers individually because it’s not realistic,” Hyland said.

“What’s the purpose of it? The system is there.”

Originally published as Victorian Jockeys’ Association puts up new jumpout fee proposal