Australian Rules of Racing

NSW Participants must ensure they understand their obligations under The Rules of Racing, which can be downloaded here and are also available on the Racing NSW website. Specifically, the following are applicable to visiting trainers and riders:

Whip Rules

AR 137A.
(1)

• (a) Only padded whips of a design and specifications approved by a panel appointed by the Australian Racing Board may be carried in races or official trials.
• (b) Every such whip must be in a satisfactory condition and must not be modified in any way.
• (c) The Stewards may confiscate any whip which in their opinion is not in a satisfactory condition or has been modified.
• (d) Any rider who has been found guilty of a breach of this subrule may be penalised. Provided that the master and/or other person who is in charge of an apprentice jockey at the relevant time may also be penalised unless he satisfies the Stewards that he took all proper care to ensure the apprentice complied with the rule.

(2) Only whips of a design and specifications approved by a panel appointed by the Australian Racing Board may be carried in trackwork.
(3) The Stewards may penalise any rider who in a race, trial or trackwork, or elsewhere uses his whip in an excessive, unnecessary or improper manner.
(4) Without affecting the generality of subrule (3) of this rule, the Stewards may penalise any rider who in a race or trial uses his whip -

(a) forward of his horse’s shoulder or in the vicinity of its head; or
(b) using an action that raises his arm above shoulder height; or
(c) when his horse is out of contention; or
(d) when his horse is showing no response; or
(e) after passing the winning post; or
(f) causing injury to his horse; or
(g) when his horse is clearly winning ; or
(h) has no reasonable prospect of improving or losing its position, or
(i) in such manner that the seam of the flap is the point of contact with the horse, unless the rider satisfies the Stewards that this was neither deliberate nor reckless.

(5) Subject to the other requirements of this rule:

(a) In a race, official trial or jump-out prior to the 100 metre mark;

(i) The whip shall not be used in consecutive strides.
(ii) The whip shall not be used on more than 5 occasions.
(iii) The rider may at his discretion use the whip with a slapping motion down the shoulder, with the whip hand remaining on the reins.

(b) In the final 100 metres of a race, official trial or jump-out a rider may use his whip at his discretion.

(7)

(a) Any trainer, owner or authorised agent must not give instructions to a rider regarding the use of the whip which, if carried out, might result in a breach of this rule.
(b) No person may offer inducements to a rider, to use the whip in such a way that, if carried out, might result in a breach of this rule.

(8) Any person who fails to comply with any provisions of this rule is guilty of an offence.
(9) An owner or his authorised representative, trainer, rider or Steward may lodge an objection against the placing of a horse where the rider during the race contravenes AR137A (3) or (5)

Vests and Skull Caps

For all riders of horses in training.
AR87. AR.87. Every licensed or registered person or permit holder shall when mounted on a horse wear a properly affixed helmet which conforms to one of the standards that have been approved by the Australian Racing Board.    

(d) the use of helmets is subject to the conditions of Australian Rule of Racing 87AA.AR87AA.
(1) Every rider shall be responsible for the care and condition of his helmet.
(2) A helmet is not regarded as serviceable and must be immediately replaced by the rider when –

(a) A period of 5 years has expired since its date of manufacture, or
(b) It sustains a serve impact, or
(c) The wearer suffers from concussion following a fall.

AR87B.
(1) Every rider when mounted on a horse wear a properly fastened safety vest the standard of which has been prescribed by Order of the Board. Provided that every such safety vest shall be in a satisfactory condition and shall have attached to It a manufacturer's label that states that it complies with the relevant standard prescribed by the Board.

Note: Pursuant to AR87B the Australian Racing Board has ordered that the following two standards of safet vests only are prescribed: The ARB Standard 1.1998 and European Standard EN 13158.

(2) Notwithstanding compliance with subrule (1), no safety vest may be worn in a race, official trial or jumpout unless it is an Approved safety vest. Such Approved Level 1 safety vests are: Hows Racesafe, Ozvest, Racelite Pro, Vipa, Vipa I, USG Flexi Race and Airowear Swift
 

Other Rules of Note

AR 83. Every jockey or apprentice may be penalised --
If he bet, or facilitates the making of, or has any interest in a bet on any race, or contingency relating to thoroughbred racing, or if he be present in the betting ring during any race meeting.
If he bet, or has any interest in a bet on any race, or contingency relating to thoroughbred racing involving a race in which he is riding. For the purposes of this rule, bet includes a lay bet (as defined in AR175B(7)).
AR 91. Any rider who has a riding engagement at any race meeting shall be present in the jockeys room no later than 45 minutes before the advertised starting time for the first race in which he has a riding engagement and, unless otherwise permitted by the Stewards, shall thereafter remain in the jockeys room until he has completed his riding engagements, when he shall seek the permission of the Stewards to leave the jockeys room.
AR 123. After a rider has left the jockeys room to ride in a race, and until he dismounts if not required to weigh in, or until he weighs in if so required,

No person other than the trainer or nominator, or their authorised agent, or an official in the course of his duties, or during the race another rider, shall except by leave of the Stewards, Judge or Starter, speak to or communicate in any way with such rider.

No other person save an official in the course of his duties or the trainer prior to the race shall except by leave of the Stewards, Judge or Starter touch the rider, or his horse or any of its equipment.

AR 135A. When by or on behalf of a trainer, any instruction is given to, or arrangement made with the rider of a horse engaged in a race that the horse be ridden in the race in a manner different from the manner in which the horse was ridden at its most recent start or starts, it shall be the responsibility of the trainer or his duly authorised agent to notify the Stewards of any such instruction or arrangement as early as practicable but not later than 30 minutes prior to the race. Upon receipt of that notification the Stewards may make any public release in respect thereof as they deem to be appropriate.
AR 137. Any rider may be penalised if, in the opinion of the Stewards, He makes any celebratory gesture prior to his mount passing the winning post.
AR 165.
(1) Any objection by the persons authorised by AR. 161 against a horse or horses, on the ground of: an interference as provided for in AR.136(1); or his not having run the proper course; or the race having been run over a wrong course; or grounds provided for in AR 137A; any other matter occurring in the race; shall be made to the Steward at scale before the riders of all placed horses are weighed-in.
(2) An objection made under paragraph (a) or (d) of subrule (1) of this Rule shall only be made on behalf of a horse that has been placed by the Judge in accordance with AR 157.
(3) In the event of an objection made under this Rule being deemed by the stewards to be frivolous, the person making such objection may be penalised.
(4) No person shall improperly deter or attempt to improperly deter a person qualified to object from making an objection under this Rule.
(5) No person shall improperly encourage or improperly attempt to encourage a person qualified to object to make an objection under this Rule.

Nationally Approved Gear

Only gear included in the National Gear Register may be used on any horse as per AR 140B in the Australian Rules of Racing listed below.

AR 140B.
(1) Only gear and conditions of use that have been expressly approved by the Chairmen of Stewards, and included in the National Gear Register, may be used on any horse in a race, official trial, jump-out or in trackwork. Provided that the Stewards may approve other gear to be used in trackwork.
(2) No horse shall race in any approved gear, including racing plates, listed in the National Gear Register unless permission has been obtained from the Stewards prior to acceptance time for the race concerned.
(3) When permission has been obtained in accordance with the provisions of subrule (2) of this rule such gear shall continue to be used without variation on the horse concerned in subsequent races unless permission has been obtained from the Stewards prior to acceptance time for the race concerned, or as otherwise approved or instructed by the Stewards.

Rubber track work reins (Zilco) may not be used in races; and
 
Buckled reins are banned in NSW.