Racing Victoria trial to permit jockeys to ride horses 1kg overweight at all meetings

Racing Victoria stewards hope a new trial will enable jockeys to continue their association with horses they might otherwise be unable to ride due to weight restrictions.

Racing Victoria will trial a clause allowing jockeys to ride their mounts 1kg over in flat races from March 1.

The trial, which will run for the month of March, will allow jockeys to apply to stewards for permission to ride 1kg over the handicapped weight provided the trainer of the horse agreed.

RV stewards decided to start the trial to give riders a chance “to allow riders to maintain their association with horses from which they might otherwise be removed due to weight restrictions”.

Trainers can book a jockey to ride a horse at 1kg overweight at any weight if they think it will give their horse the best possible winning chance.

However, applications to ride horses 1kg overweight will only be able to be made until 2pm on the day of acceptances, which is Wednesday for a Saturday meeting.

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Any late applications will only be granted in exceptional circumstances by the chairperson of stewards at the relevant meeting.

The rules surrounding jockeys seeking permission to ride their mounts half a kilogram overweight will remain unchanged during the trial period.

Stewards have advised jockeys, their managers and trainers they will conduct the trial under strict guidelines.

Claiming apprentices will not be allowed to ride overweight and must declare their minimum weight at acceptance time.

If a booked rider becomes unavailable, trainers have been told to find a replacement at the handicapped weight with permission to ride 1kg overweight to be granted in special circumstances.

The trial will begin on Wednesday, when acceptances are taken for Saturday’s Flemington meeting.

Punters will be advised of any approvals to ride overweight via Racing Victoria stewards’ X (formerly Twitter) account (@RVStewards) or in the fields for the respective race meetings on the Racing Australia website.

Stewards will consult with jockeys and trainers throughout the trial before deciding whether to extend the test period or permanently adopt the rule.