If whip breaches are to be reduced, jockeys must be told by their employers not to break the rules at any cost
Oh whoopee, the whip is back in the news. This time, the headline is a threat from the British Horseracing Authority that “temporary measures” could be suddenly introduced if there are too many rule breaches at the Cheltenham Festival next week.
“Temporary measures” sounds very dramatic, as if the BHA was thinking about declaring an emergency, finding itself in a situation so problematic that action must be taken right away. In fact, the ruling body has been consulting on the subject and tweaking the rules at regular intervals for decades, so, if there is an emergency, they bear a large share of the responsibility. I see no such emergency myself.
Related: Debbie Matthews: ‘We want a place we can go and hide for 10 minutes’| Chris Cook
Related: Trainer Nicky Henderson happy with Might Bite’s pre-Cheltenham schooling
Fakenham 2.10 Swaffham Bulbeck 2.40 Conas Taoi 3.10 Uno Mas 3.45 Molliana 4.15 Truckers Tangle (nb) 4.50 Lyndsays Lad
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