I thought this was a refreshingly honest comment from Hanagan, yesterday’s RP…
“Before I go any further, let me get one thing straight.
It's true I was happy with the BHA appeal board's decision to keep The Ridler as the Norfolk Stakes winner. I'm grateful to the panel and also want to thank the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), owner Steve Bradley, my barrister Roderick Moore and James Doyle, who gave honest evidence. Yet, although I'm pleased and grateful to have won the Norfolk, it's not an easy race for me to watch.
The careless mistake I made at Royal Ascot was the biggest of my career. I was undoubtedly the cause of significant interference but I've regularly been on the receiving end. The reason why is the current interference rules and the way in which they are policed.
We're only human and we all make mistakes. Mine came at Flat racing's most prestigious meeting but I think I would have made the same error at a lesser track and in a lesser race. This sort of thing is happening on a daily basis. The reason why is simple. Jockeys have been getting away with too much for too long.
A lot of us have pushed the rules right to their boundaries, sometimes by accident, sometimes intentionally. We have done so in the knowledge we can get away with it.
If you have made a mistake and, for example, drifted off the rail, you are not entitled to suddenly move back to the rail, either early in a race or with the intention of stopping a horse coming through on the inner at the end of a race. Nine times out of ten, jockeys do that anyway.
It's important to stress interference isn't only happening in the closing stages. It's hard to overemphasise how much interference is taking place in the first few furlongs – and I'm not claiming to be innocent myself. If you have a bad draw and want to get over, you push on and accept you're going to tighten up other runners. You know full well what you're doing.
I genuinely think we have some of the world's finest stewards and stipendiary stewards. They use common sense. However, although common sense is okay, it has to be applied consistently. In recent seasons I've found stark differences in the way the rules are implemented from one day to the next. The outcome is jockeys push the boundaries because we think it will either go unnoticed or not get treated with the seriousness it deserves.
I may get accused of being hypocritical for saying what comes next. I'll say it anyway. I would generally know when not to put a horse in a position where that horse would be likely to suffer interference. Too many young riders now seem unable to do that. Indeed, I have never seen so many inexperienced jockeys either putting themselves in danger or causing interference.
The culture has changed. A little bit of respect has gone.
I would always have spoken to an experienced jockey I knew had partnered a horse I was about to ride. These days I'm the experienced jockey but I don't often get asked that sort of question.
I know the weighing room isn't always the easiest place. It's sometimes not obvious to a young rider who they should go to for advice. There are some good people in the weighing room but also some who aren't very nice. People like me would always be happy to give guidance about a horse, yet we don't get asked.
Is that because those kids are more cocky or frightened than I used to be? I honestly think it's the former.
I never read things that were written about me, which meant complimentary press coverage never went to my head. Over the last few years, young riders seem to get full of themselves. There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. We see too much of that arrogance and it is a huge factor in the interference we're witnessing. A contributing factor is the older jockeys now walk on eggshells in the weighing room and are wary of what might be said if we raise our voices to an apprentice.
I want to stress this is most definitely not just about apprentices. A lot of the older jockeys are taking advantage of the rules and therefore setting no sort of example. I made a careless mistake at Ascot, but would I have made that mistake had I been used to riding against the backdrop of stricter rules and stricter penalties? I'm not sure I would.
Things are worse than I've ever known. The weighing room used to be a safe haven but there are times now when it's a horrible place. There are arguments, shouting and bawling after races every day. We fear for our safety and are just happy to be going home in one piece. That can't be allowed to continue.
So what do I want?
We can't escape the fact countless jockeys, me included, have decided it's worth getting a few days in order to win a race. That tells you the system isn't working.
The rules need to be much clearer. I want jockeys like me to know that if we do wrong we will be punished. Maybe the bans we get now should be doubled in length. I also think jockeys who are guilty of interference crimes should lose some of their prize-money, just as we do when committing major whip offences. I don't know how else things are going to change.
As jockeys, we have to make split-second decisions. Things aren't always as straightforward as some might believe. Even so, I dread to think what will happen without the introduction of harsher penalties.
If my Ascot mistake can be a catalyst for change, I'll be delighted.”
