Horseracing whip rules: Twenty bans handed out in first week of changes
- Published
New whip rules came into force last month
Jockey Charlotte Jones has had her mount disqualified, while Lorcan Williams will miss Cheltenham among 20 suspensions handed out in the first week under the British Horseracing Authority's revised whip regulations.
The new rules came in to force on 13 February, with breaches referred to the Whip Review Committee which met on Tuesday to assess the cases.
Lunar Discovery finished second at Ayr on 14 February, but jockey Jones was found to have used her whip 11 times, four more than permitted.
The Committee stated "none of the hits were clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes" and Jones has been given a 14-day ban from 7 March.
Meanwhile, Williams has been given an 18-day ban and fined £1,050 for his winning ride on Makin'yourmindup at Haydock on Saturday.
He was judged to have used his whip twice over the permitted amount in his Prestige Novices' Hurdle victory. His suspension will run from 7-24 March.
The Cheltenham Festival takes place from 14-17 March.
"I'm absolutely gutted, but it is what it is and I'll take it on the chin," said Williams. "Hopefully I'll learn from it, but it has been a hard transition for us all.
"It's a tough one to take and it's hard to keep those emotions away when I was in that tight of a finish at Haydock, especially with these new rules we're having to adapt to."
Brant Dunshea, the BHA's chief regulatory officer, said: "Jockeys have had more than four weeks to adapt to the new rules through the bedding-in period.
"As the jockeys themselves have stated, it is now up to them to ensure that they ride within the new rules."
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