Flanagan leaves jockeys' association over decision to permanently close saunas

A move to permanently close saunas on Irish racecourses and introduce an additional 1lb safety allowance for riders has divided opinion in the Irish weighing room, with leading jockey Sean Flanagan resigning from the Irish Jockeys Association (IJA) over the organisation's handling of the issue.

The IJA secretary Andrew Coonan conceded "many riders would like to see the saunas reopened" but said the association must be guided by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's senior medical officer Dr Jennifer Pugh.

Flanagan's fellow senior riders Denis O'Regan and Shane Foley have backed the move.

Changes revealed on Monday, which are set to be rolled out in early May, follow on from the decision to raise minimum riding weights by 3lb on the Flat and 4lb over jumps in Ireland last month. An increase of 1lb to the body protector allowance creates a total safety allowance of 4lb.

Racecourse saunas have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic in Ireland. Such facilities were closed permanently in Britain this year.

The weight increase mirrors changes in Britain, which were confirmed on Monday. The BHA will scrap the jockeys' 3lb weight allowance and increase the minimum weights by 2lb, with the safety allowance increased by 1lb to 4lb.

"There are a lot of riders who are very against this," Flanagan told the Racing Post. "I don't think this decision is for changing, but I worry it will drive riders who have weight and mental health problems into sweating at home or in the car on the way to the races.

Denis O'Regan: 'We are very grateful to the IHRB and to Dr Pugh for implementing this change'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"Now you are on your own without someone beside you on the track. I worry this will drive those people further under, it's making an already tough job even more difficult.

"There was a rider who rode in one of the first few races at Navan recently and had to leave the racecourse to go into Navan to have a sweat in a sauna before coming back to the track to ride in a later race."

The Cheltenham Festival-winning rider added: "Could the jockeys' association have done more? I think so. I've left the association over this. I don't feel there's a point in being part of an organisation who won't do everything in their power to listen to everyone and come up with the right outcome.

"The question was asked in a survey as to whether riders want saunas to be open or closed, and 80 per cent said they wanted them to be left open. I don't think taking the saunas out of the racecourse will stop riders sweating. Many will just do 1lb lighter as a result of the added allowance."

Shane Foley: has given thumbs-up to keeping Irish racecourse saunas closedCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

However, O'Regan, one of the most experienced riders in the jumps weighing room, described the move as a "very progressive step from the IHRB".

He said: "We are very grateful to them and to Dr Pugh for implementing this change, which can only improve jockeys' wellbeing."

Classic-winning rider Foley added: "This is really for the benefit of jockeys' health. In this day and age, I think everyone is getting healthier and going forward this move is going to help everybody."

Pugh insisted that the correct decision has been made after "a thorough consultative process", having conducted extensive research with her team.

"I cannot overemphasise the importance of these announcements for the long-term health and wellbeing of jockeys," said Pugh. "While this decision is a significant culture change for the jockeys, medical evidence regarding dehydration immediately before race-riding and the longer-term effects of weight management no longer support the methods previously used."

Dr Jennifer Pugh: 'I am confident the correct solution to the difficult issue of jockey weights and use of rapid weight loss in the sauna has been reached'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Coonan added: "Riders have adapted very well to the saunas being closed for the last two years but nobody should underestimate the difficulty this has created for them.

"In reality, many riders would like to see the saunas reopened but we have to be guided by Dr Pugh, who has, since last September, worked closely with the IJA in doing what's best for all riders in the short and longer term.

"In light of the clear medical evidence of the negative effect of excess dehydration, the committee of the IJA were clear that the increased 1lb at the scales and a commitment to enhance the support available to riders when saunas are closed was the best option available."

Read more on this subject:

Ruby Walsh: 'Taking saunas out will not stop people dehydrating'

Jockeys receive additional 1lb safety allowance as BHA confirms weights rise

BHA defends move to raise riding weights despite criticism from jockeys

'It's not going to help any of us' – jockeys critical of weights rise

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