Mic'd up jockeys in the Melbourne Cup? British racing reacts to Aussie innovation plans

The idea riders in the Melbourne Cup could one day be mic'd up in a bid to broaden the sport's appeal in Australia has been met with interest by figures in British racing.

Andrew Jones, the chief executive officer of Racing Victoria, which oversees Melbourne Cup host site Flemington, floated that suggestion in a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday when he warned of the importance of staying relevant, saying: "My view is we've got quite a strong starting position and we should use that starting position to our advantage to grow racing rather than do nothing and wait for it to go backward."

He referenced how Formula 1 drivers are in communication with their pit crews and envisaged a similar scenario in racing with jockeys and trainers, albeit if trials proved it would be safe.

Former amateur jockey Josh Apiafi, who is now a broadcaster on Sky Sports Racing and continues to wear many hats in the industry, said: "You've got to keep innovating. We're not the same sport we were ten years ago and we can't be the same sport in ten years. I don't think our innovation is as much as other sports."

Hailing improvements in golf broadcasts, he pointed to the benefits in racing of Equine Productions' JockeyCam and Total Performance Data, and said some trials in Britain had taken place with riders mic'd up.

"We should take people on a journey with innovation and it would be great to speak to a jockey on the way to post, and ask how the horse was moving and what the ground was like," he added. "We're an entertainment sport and we need to entertain."

Oli Bell: open to innovationCredit: Edward Whitaker

Oli Bell, a familiar face on ITV Racing, said: "If there's an idea floated, everyone should be willing to give it a go and, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

"I wouldn't be averse to trying new ideas as a way of engaging fans, but I don't know if this is the most practical or logical solution because I can't see the reality in which it works in the way they're speaking about down under.

"That said, having jockeys mic'd would be interesting and hearing the hustle and bustle of racing, which is exciting, while I think it would be more productive having an interviewer speaking to a jockey. It would be more informative to the viewer having Ruby Walsh ask Paul Townend how he was travelling and what he was going to do.

"I'm not against the idea because we should always try stuff."

Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, the sport's promotional and marketing arm, said: "The notion of micing up jockeys and trainers is not a new one and has been discussed here in the UK before, indeed quite recently. 

"Broadcast innovation does provide an opportunity to attract both new and younger fans, but part of the process around innovations, such as the aforementioned, is understanding what benefits it will bring, how it would work for the participants, alongside the safety factors you have to consider when working with live animals. As always, the devil is in the detail.

"Another key factor for racing is the relative brevity of our product. There is only so much you can cram into the short broadcast window that is a horse race. Too much information could provide a distraction not an enhancement. New additions often work better for review purposes than for live action.

"In my opinion, the start point for innovation in broadcasting is to partner with the experts – the broadcasters – and to test and learn, to find out what works, and what doesn’t."

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