Jockeys threaten to strike over whip rule

Monday could be a very quiet day in your local bookies if jockeys go ahead with a threatened strike over the new whip rules.

In an escalating dispute in the UK, meetings at Windsor, Pontefract and Plumpton on Monday could be cancelled if the riders do down whips over the new measures introduced this week.

Last Monday the British Horseracing Authority reduced the permitted number of strikes jockeys could make with their whips without incurring fines or bans.

For Flat races the jockey can only hit the horse seven times, with no more than five of those in the final furlong. For National Hunt the limit is eight, but again no more than five inside the final furlong.

The issue became much bigger yesterday when top flat jockey Richard Hughes announced he was quitting the sport after receiving his second ban since the rules came in.

"I've handed my licence in until further notice. I've been trying to obey the rules this week and when the rules came in we all thought seven was a fair number, but then they set a trap by saying you could only hit them five in the last furlong,” he said.

 "The new rules mean you actually hit them more, as you have to get two into them before the furlong pole and then you have five for the final furlong. I was always told as a young lad the last jockey to go for stick usually wins. I don't think I can do my owners justice any more.”

"Until the rules are resolved I won't be riding. I'd rather retire. I can't ride horses like this. It's like telling Lionel Messi he can't use his left foot."

Now we still reckon Messi could probably do a fair bit of damage with just his right foot but we take Hughes’ point and the harshness of the penalties – five-day ban as a minimum, with a 15-day ban for a second offence – are robbing fans of seeing the best riders get the best from horses.

The BHA’s thinking is that whipping puts casual viewers off racing and they need to attract new punters but it seems they are just alienating their existing support.

In Ireland the Turf Club wisely sat tight and allowed the British to experiment with the rule changes and as it stands they do not plan to change their rules, which allow 12 strikes in a race, and even that is not a hard rule with some small flexibility allowed on a case-by-case basis.

With tomorrow’s Flat meeting at Ascot one of the biggest and best of the year, this issue will only increase over the weekend.