Munce free to ride

Embattled jockey Chris Munce's battle to resurrect his career received a huge boost on Wednesday when Racing NSW overturned a 30-month ban handed out by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Racing NSW licensing committee ruled the latest penalty Munce received was for an offence under the criminal code of Hong Kong which did not exist in Australia.

The earlier nine and 18-month bans Munce received were not overturned but as he had already completed those sentences the jockey is free to resume his riding career.

Racing NSW's decision has the potential to sour relations with the HKJC, a point not lost on chief executive Peter V'landys, who will write to his Hong Kong counterpart Winfried Engelbrecht Bresges to explain the decision.

V'landys said Munce, who was released from jail in October after serving a 20-month jail term in Hong Kong and Sydney, had already paid a 'heavy price' for his parts in a tip-for-bets scandal.

But V'landys said Racing NSW was also aware of the 'imperative need for disciplinary action for breaches of the Rules of Racing to be upheld internationally'.

"I wanted to make sure that it is clearly understood that Racing NSW fully respects the professionalism of the racing stewards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club in their handling of this matter," he said.

"This is reflected in the decision we have taken to reciprocate these penalties."

"The decision that Racing NSW has taken in this present matter is the same as would be the case for any request it received from an overseas racing authority to reciprocate a penalty in respect of a person currently licensed in the State of New South Wales."

Munce had feared earlier this week that his career would have been finished had Racing NSW not overturned the HKJC's ban.

Disqualified jockeys cannot ride in a barrier trial or in trackwork, severely limiting their potential to earn income from racing.