Jockeys threaten fresh boycotts

Handlers enjoy smooth start

Jockeys have warned of further action after a racecourse boycott in a dispute over the use of stalls handlers.

All the top Flat riders, bar champion jockey contender Seb Sanders, refused to ride on Monday at Wolverhampton racecourse, owned by Arena Leisure.

Talks between Arena and the Jockeys Association may take place on Tuesday.

And riders, concerned about safety after Arena replaced RaceTech stalls staff with an in-house team, may strike again if a compromise cannot be found.

Senior jockey Steve Drowne said: "We are still very concerned about the future, concerned about who racecourses will be using next year to put horses into the stalls.

"We hate doing this sort of thing. That's why we don't do it all the time but this is something that needs to be resolved and until it is, our position won't change."

But Arena, which also owns all-weather tracks at Southwell and Lingfield, is standing firm.

MAIN ISSUES Role: Handlers must get sometimes highly-strung thoroughbreds into the metal starting stalls Help: Many riders are grateful for the experience of RaceTech staff In-house: Arena opted to use its own team after facing increased charges from RaceTech Job losses: Some RaceTech staff have been served redundancy notices Safety: Arena has increased training and won Jockey Club backing. It has also recruited some ex-RaceTech staff

Ian Renton, Arena racing director, said: "I would obviously be extremely disappointed if there were further strike action."

Workers from RaceTech are employed at courses in the UK not owned by Arena, which also has turf tracks at Windsor, Folkestone and Worcester.

Renton said the new team enjoyed a relatively trouble-free start at Wolverhampton on Monday evening.

"I am very happy that the stalls team have proved successful, as we always felt they would," he said.

"Any safety concerns that have been discussed over the last few weeks have been well and truly allayed and the jockeys here today will be very happy with the way the stalls team have performed."

Have Your Say What do you make of the dispute?

Renton said he wanted to sit down for talks with John Blake, the Jockeys' Association chief executive.

Blake is also keen to work towards a mutually satisfactory conclusion and he is planning to contact Renton on Tuesday.

"I am disappointed that it has come to this, disappointed that nothing has really been resolved," he said.

"But I have had a long discussion with Greg Nichols (British Horseracing Board chief executive) on Monday and I intend to talk to Ian Renton and I am still optimistic that agreement can be reached."

The next meeting at an Arena all-weather track is back at Wolverhampton on 3 September.