Jockey riding fees: Rule change regarding non-runners

Following consultation with the Professional Jockeys Association, an amendment to the Rules of Racing will be made on Monday 8 June to address anomalies relating to jockey riding fees when a declared ride becomes a non‑runner.

This will see an internal redistribution of existing funds being undertaken which result in no changes to the current Jockey Riding Fee policy.

Currently, a rider whose mount is withdrawn after the jockey booking deadline receives a non‑runner payment worth half a riding fee and may still be substituted onto another horse in the race, resulting in them receiving one and a half riding fees, while the displaced rider receives no payment.

Additionally, when a horse is declared a non‑runner because its originally booked jockey becomes unavailable – through injury or inability to make the weight – the non‑runner still triggers a payment to that rider.

To resolve these anomalies, the Fee Code will be updated so that jockeys will continue to receive the standard non‑runner fee unless they are substituted onto another horse in the same race, in which case the non‑runner fee will transfer to the displaced jockey.

In addition, a non‑runner fee will not be payable where the horse’s withdrawal is a direct result of a jockey becoming unavailable and no suitable replacement is able to be found.

Changes to Paragraph 16 of the Fee Code have been approved by the BHA Board and will be updated on Monday 8 June.