Ride Guide to kick off at Caulfield

A three-month trial of the digital service Ride Guide where jockeys give thoughts on their race rides will begin at Caulfield.

The Australian Jockeys Association-led concept has gained the support of Racing Victoria and other industry stakeholders and will have it’s first airing on Saturday.

The service was scrapped last July after jockeys were told they would be in breach of the rules if they gave their views on upcoming rides via the Ladbrokes betting site.

RV’s chief commercial officer Jane Ballantyne said it was a good outcome for the industry to arrive at a point where Ride Guide could be tested in the sporting media marketplace.

“We believe that there is now a strong framework in place for the concept to be successfully trialled and be a positive initiative for our sport through the promotion of our jockeys and the valuable raceday insights they can provide,” Ballantyne said.

AJA chairman, Des O’Keeffe, said Ride Guide wold help elevate the profile of jockeys and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and insights to racing’s customers.

Ride Guide was originally set up by the AJA and global athlete media company Unscriptd as an exclusive service for Ladbrokes, but challenges arose because under racing rules jockeys cannot gain financially from sharing information.

The AJA and Unscriptd worked with RV in consultation with industry stakeholders to refine the concept so it did not compromise the rules of racing.

Jockeys will not be paid directly for their content while trainers have an opt-out clause should they not wish to have their jockey discuss an upcoming runner.

During the trial Ride Guide will only be available for Saturday metropolitan meetings.

It can viewed via the Ladbrokes betting site, and at Jockeyguide.com.au with Racing.com having access on its live broadcast.