THE use of electronic devices to urge horses to run faster is considered one of racing's most serious crimes. However, it remains a technique some trainers swear by, but none will admit to.

The tough penalties handed out during the week to trainer Paul Preusker (four years disqualification) and jockey Holly McKechnie (three years) have meant few in racing are willing to talk of the unsavoury practice of inducing a sluggish horse to try harder by hitting it with an electronic shock down the neck.

Off the record, a few trainers and jockeys offered an anecdote or two about the range of battery devices used for many decades.