Harness Racing Australia announced seven months ago that it would be banning the whip from the start of the new season on September 1.

However after a meeting of all state bodies in Sydney two weeks ago, Harness Racing NSW announced it would not be adopting the HRA proposal and would not be implementing a ban, either now or at any time in the near future.

HRA then conceded that, under the circumstances, its September 1 target date had become “unattainable.”

But it did not concede defeat completely, with chief executive Andrew Kelly stating that banning the whip was “still a goal for the sport.”

Tasmania was represented at the national meeting by Tasracing’s harness manager Kevin Neilson, chief steward Adrian Crowther and BOTRA president Barrie Rattray.

HRA recently revealed that there were trials run without whips in Tasmania in May but the ‘prototype device’ to replace the whip was deemed to have failed and needed further development.

This so-called prototype device was actually a modified whip that could only be used as a safety measure, not to encourage a horse to run faster.

Although there has been no poll, officials believe most Tasmanian participants would oppose a ban.

The frustration and anger that followed the abandonment of Sunday’s Elwick meeting after two races could have been avoided according to Tasmanian Jockeys Association general manager Kevin Ring.

Ring said that when there was any doubt about a meeting going ahead, an experienced track walker should be engaged to make a professional, independent assessment.

“I know they inspect tracks in the days leading up to a meeting but when there is rain the night before, as there was at the weekend, a track walker should be called in at 7am so an early decision can be made,” he said.

Ring believes someone like retired jockey Stephen Maskiell would be ideal.

“He’s one of the best track walkers in the business and no longer has a vested interest in whether a meeting goes ahead,” Ring said.

The Ubet win pools on the harness meeting in Hobart on Friday night proved punters are a fickle breed.

With most betting these days done at fixed-odds we’re not talking about massive amounts of money but it’s still amazing that the second-highest win pool was on a two-horse race.

And, the winner of that race, Scooterwillrev, was always going to pay $1. Yet, punters bet $3653 with no real possibility of winning.