Champion Perth jockey William Pike is moving to Sydney after vaccination mandates in Western Australia forced the star to leave his home state.
The “King of the West”, popularised by east coast punters looking to continue betting late into the evening, will join one of Australia’s top racing scenes.
As of February 5, the vaccination mandate in WA will come into effect, requiring participants to be fully vaccinated. This is also the date where WA’s borders will open to the rest of the country.
Racing and Wagering Western Australia’s Julio Santarelli reported yesterday morning about Pike’s decision to apply for a racing license in NSW.
William Pike will relocate to Sydney to continue his riding career. Will apply for license this week. Under current rules jockeys are not required to be double vaccinated in NSW. @TABradio @TAB_touch @TheRacesWA
— Julio Santarelli (@santassnippets) January 17, 2022
It is not the first time Pike has been hindered by new laws in WA. He missed the Perth Cup on New Year’s Day due to a mandate around vaccinations at Ascot.
In an interview with Freedom Media WA late in December, Pike spoke about his future in the sport.
“I would love to keep riding. I would love to stay on top for as long as I can until one of the young guns come along and boot me off my perch,” Pike said.
“I don’t want to leave it, but under the circumstances right now… it’s getting harder and harder to go out and do my daily job.”
Although unvaccinated, Pike is wary of the ‘anti-vaxxer’ term thrown around. He cited a bad reaction to a flu shot nearly 20 years ago as to why he was hesitant to get the vaccine.
