(BPL Citizen Journalist Cameron Plant is a passionate racing fan and lives in Sydney.)

Jockeys betting on horses they ride, or don't ride, has seemingly been common practice for decades. The rules relating to jockeys betting on racing have also been in place for a long time: they're not allowed to do it, full stop.

Why then would some jockeys be so careless as to leave themselves open to questioning by the sport's stewards. Greed? Not making enough money?

We've seen that sort of stupidity this year, or at the very least carelessness. Danny Nikolic washed his dry mouth out with a swig of beer at the barriers before a race, then Jim Cassidy tested positive to marijuana. And now Blake Shinn and Peter Robl have supposedly been caught having a bet using TAB accounts in the name of Shinn's mother Carol Shinn and Robl's wife Elaine Robl.

Having been charged last week, the pair will front stewards on Friday to answer charges related to illegal betting activities.

All these riders are Group 1-winning hoops of considerable talent; two of them have won Melbourne Cups.

So maybe it's time to change the rules, particularly relating to riders having a bet.

Picture this. You're a punter. Before a race, the stewards declare that a horse is to be ridden further forward today, or further back ... whatever the case may be. You read the gear changes as well: horse with blinkers for the first time, stallion chain on, etc etc. You can now make an informed decision about your selection.

What about riders declaring they've backed their own horse?

Imagine commentator Greg Miles announcing that Shinn had backed his horse to win the first, third and seventh races.

I'd argue there were several advantages if this were to happen.

Firstly, as a punter, I know he'll be trying .... really hard.

Secondly, as an owner, I know he'll be trying .... really hard.

Thirdly, as a steward, I know the rider who's backed his own horse won't be just "giving it a run''. He or she will be giving the horse every possible chance.

But if a jockey is caught laying horses on a betting exchange - in other words, backing a horse to lose - then I'd throw the book at him. No three strikes, or some other system, but ban them for life. A career-over kind of penalty.

If they back another horse in a race they're riding in that's not their own, and they get caught, they should be banned for life as well. That sort of behaviour completely compromises the integrity of the sport, so no half measures with the penalty.

So, what happens if you know that Blake Shinn has not backed his mount in Race 5?

The odds would drift you'd think, but at least as a punter and owner, you'd know.

Imagine if five riders declared they'd backed their own horse in a race? That'd make it interesting.

On a broader level, it's ridiculous to think that you can somehow police jockeys having a bet.

Their wife can bet for them, their girlfriend, mother-in-law or mate, and they can place the bet legitimately, too.

If I happen to know Peter Robl very well and he said to me: "Look, here's $2000 cash, can you have it on my ride in the first at Randwick on Saturday?" How do you stop that?

I can walk into a TAB, or place the bet online, or have the bet with a bookie at the track, so how do stewards police that behaviour? They can't, unless of course jockeys act stupidly and place the bet themselves, or deposit funds into an account themselves.

Imagine Bruce Clark interviewing Shinn after the first race where the hoop has backed his own horse: "So Blake, nice win by "Horse X", can he go on?''

''Yes, Bruce, he gives me a good feel. I think he's black-type potential and the field looked weak today, so that's why I backed him.''

What's wrong with that? And if there is something wrong with that, is it any worse than the current culture we have?