Top apprentice appeals careless riding ban

Leading Victorian apprentice Ben Allen will continue to ride at as many meetings as he can under a stay of proceedings pending an appeal against a careless riding ban.

Allen rode a double at Sandown on Wednesday and under the stay is free to ride at Moonee Valley on Friday night, Flemington on Saturday and Werribee on Sunday.

But under a rule designed to protect apprentices from overload, he is unable to ride at Moe on Friday or Cranbourne on Saturday night.

Allen says the rule that stops him riding at day and night meetings on the same day is a restraint of trade.

“We’ve gone from being able to ride nine days in a row and it’s been cut down to six,” Allen told RSN927.

“You can’t ride at a day and then a night meeting but you can ride at two day meetings which I don’t see the difference with.”

But Allen admits he gets it easy compared to some other apprentices who have to work in the mornings after night meetings.

New Victorian Jockeys’ Association chief executive Matt Hyland said a review undertaken in the middle of the year highlighted the workload of some apprentices.

He said the review came about following suspensions to Tom Sadler and Regan Bayliss who claimed their workloads had contributed to suspensions.

“These policies and rules were put in place for the broader group of apprentices,” Hyland said.

Hyland pointed out senior riders can pick and choose which meetings they ride at while as part their apprenticeship junior riders undergo 38 hours of work for their masters before riding in races.

“One of the responsibilities of a trainer is not to make money off their apprentice but to manage their careers,” he said.

The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board will hear Allen’s appeal against a nine-meeting suspension on Monday.

Allen is in fourth spot on the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership table.