Racehorse TALK

A STRIKE at Caulfield's dual Group 1 meeting on Saturday has been canvassed by Victorian jockeys.

The jockeys will continue riding pending the outcome of further negotiations today that are aimed at resolving the controversial whipping rules.

But every jockey received a text message yesterday morning asking whether they were prepared to withdraw their services if the current rules did not change.

A similar text was sent to jockeys in New South Wales.

Jockeys were asked to text back their response.

A random poll by the Herald Sun indicated a group of senior jockeys would not withdraw their services.

Potential action will be averted if respective phone hook ups today of the 17-member Australian Racing Board and the Australian Jockeys' Association state offices reach common ground.

A joint meeting has been scheduled at noon.

ARB chairman Bob Bentley and AJA chairman Ross Inglis emerged from a 90-minute meeting with a positive spin.

Inglis said he was "hopeful" a resolution would be reached.

He described as "fruitful" the meeting on the jockey's request to be allowed discretionary use of the whip over the final 100m of a race.

Inglis said the sticking point remained the manner in which a jockey could use the whip over the last 100m.

Though he confirmed races today would proceed, Inglis said he could not rule out further stoppages.

"The tenor of the discussions today would mean that I was fairly optimistic about races continuing," Inglis said.

"(But) I can't rule it (striking) out as I have to go back to the members."

Bentley said he was "pretty sure" that "some sort of agreement" could be reached.

He said the two warring parties had come from an "untrenchable position" to something "we can all work with" and were much closer.

Champion jockey Damien Oliver, the only jockey at the meeting, described the meeting as "positive", but said he could offer no further insight.