Twenty suspensions issued in first week of new whip rules

One horse disqualified by Whip Review Committee.

A total of 20 riding suspensions were incurred during the first week under the British Horseracing Authority’s revised whip regulations, with one serious breach resulting in disqualification.

New rules came into force on February 13 following a bedding-in period when the new penalty structure was not in force but jockeys were advised of the punishment they would have received for offences.

Whip bans are no longer handed out on the day of the offence, with all breaches referred to the Whip Review Committee, which met on Tuesday to assess the cases.

Charlotte Jones was found to have used her whip 11 times when beaten a head into second on Jimmy Moffatt’s Lunar Discovery at Ayr last Tuesday.

As she breached the seven-stroke limit by four, with the Committee stating “none of the hits were clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes”, her mount was disqualified and Jones will be banned for 14 days (March 7-20 inclusive).

Lorcan Williams is one of the higher profile names to fall foul of the regulations and he will miss the Cheltenham Festival having been given an 18-day ban for his winning ride on Makin’yourmindup at Haydock on Saturday.

Williams, who is attached to champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ stable, had feared he would be severely punished after driving home Makin’yourmindup in a narrow finish to the Prestige Novices’ Hurdle.

He was adjudged to have used his whip twice over the allowed amount, but as the race was a Grade Two a harsher penalty was admonished, as befits the new structure.

His suspension begins on March 7 and runs to March 24. Williams was also fined GBP 1,050.

The rider of the second in that race, Kevin Brogan, also used his whip above the permitted level, with his extra strike costing him an eight-day ban, as suspensions in class one and two races are doubled.

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