‘Ridiculous’: Trio of Melbourne Cup winning jockeys demand action on safety vest review

A big-name trio of Melbourne Cup winning jockeys has called for urgent action at Racing Australia level into an important safety issue.

Three Melbourne Cup-winning jockeys have blasted the “ridiculous” inertia of a crucial review into jockey safety vests and called for Racing Australia to take immediate and meaningful action.

Blake Shinn, Craig Williams and Michael Rodd have spoken to Racenet about their extreme frustrations with the review, which was announced two years ago but has become mired in red-tape.

Racenet ran a series of stories in 2023, quoting champion jockeys including Shane Dye, Darren Beadman and Damien Oliver who were critical of current vests being used by jockeys and questioning their effectiveness.

The drive for change came, at least partially, off the back of a string of jockey falls in early 2023 which included the tragic death of Dean Holland.

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Two years on, the review has gone nowhere. The Racing Australia Jockey and Industry Participants Committee, which is meant to be continuing to review the vest issue, has not even met since March last year.

The Melbourne Cup-winning jockeys want to be allowed to wear the renowned Japanese Descente riding vest, which is now also used in Hong Kong.

Regardless, they have had enough of inaction from officials over the important safety issue.

“What I can’t work out is how can Japan and Hong Kong, which you would say are the two leading racing jurisdictions in the world, be using the Descente vests but the riders in Australia are not allowed to use a vest like that?” Shinn told Racenet.

Star jockey Blake Shinn with his Scobie Breasley Medal last year. Picture: Racing Photos

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“To be honest, it’s ridiculous.

“And just the fact that there hasn’t even been a review properly completed is ridiculous.”

Williams also went on the front foot.

“There needs to be action, not inaction,” Williams said.

“It’s now 27 years since the standard for safety vests in Australia was introduced and it’s been a real failure that this standard has not been formally reviewed for a long time.

“I want to call on Racing Australia to be accountable and follow through meaningfully on its 2023 commitment to hold a review into safety vests.

“This is the consensus when I speak to my (jockey) colleagues, wherever they are in Australia.

“The reason we are speaking out about this is because it’s important.

“I’m not saying the current vests we are using are unsafe.

“But what I am saying is that everything involving safety should be renewed over a period of time which this hasn’t been, despite promises to do so.

“I am a rider whose neck and head and life is at stake when I ride.

“I would feel more comfortably safe if I was given opportunity to use the Descente vest.”

Jockey Craig Williams celebrates his Group 1 Champions Mile win aboard Mr Brightside. Picture: Michael Klein

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Rodd said the lack of action over the issue was “very frustrating” and questioned if some officials at Racing Australia level were “playing politics”.

“It’s not unreasonable for us to come forward and question what’s going on,” Rodd said.

“Safety in the last 27 years – since the last proper vest review – has come so far.

“That’s safety in everything, from cars to everything else.

“I can’t see the reasoning why this has stalled, unless they are playing politics and not letting us push this through.

“The Descente vest is a superior vest, it bends both ways and it bends with your body.

“It’s not like the current vests which we have to use which are more like a turtle shell.”

2007 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michael Rodd Picture: Alex Treacy

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Australian Jockeys’ Association Occupational Health and Safety officer Kevin Ring said it was time to cut through the red tape and for the RA committee overseeing the issue to meet and take action.

Former champion jockey Dye has been steadfast in his position that the currently mandated riding vest in Australia in fact had increased, not reduced, the capacity for serious back, head and neck injuries in a fall.

Originally published as ‘Ridiculous’: Trio of Melbourne Cup winning jockeys demand action on safety vest review