Horse racing: Plan to relax controversial whip rules

Paul Bittar, the British Horseracing Authority’s new chief executive, will today outline plans to defuse the whip rule controversy before the Cheltenham Festival.

The Australian, who was appointed last September, will propose fresh amendments at a board meeting in a bid to prevent jumps racing’s biggest meeting being overshadowed by the issue that has dogged the sport under both codes since last October.

“As Paul has already alluded to, the issues to be looked at are proportionality [of penalty to offence] and discretion in how it is implemented,” said BHA spokesman John Maxse.

“The intention is address these issues before the Festival.”

Nothing is expected to be finalised at the board meeting, which is the final summit scheduled before the Festival starts on 13 March. However, it will still be possible to achieve the necessary agreement from a majority of the voting board once the details of the proposed amendments have been concluded.

“It will be a stretch beyond what is possible to have any proposal with i’s dotted and t’s crossed in place,” Maxse added.

Rules regarding use of the whip have been a continuing problem since the BHA introduced strict new regulations and penalties just a few days before Flat racing’s new Champions Day at Ascot last October. The BHA have been working with the jockeys and other stakeholders to find a mutual agreement, but the issue has not gone away.

Only last week 16-times champion jockey Tony McCoy fell foul of the rules when handed a four-day ban after going one over the limit when forcing a dead-heat at Leicester.

Paul Nicholls has cancelled a scheduled media visit to his yard tomorrow. The champion trainer was unhappy with the performance of some of his string over the weekend, and said it would be the wrong time to invite the press with some horses coughing in his care.

“It is fairly obvious that we had a moderate weekend,” said Nicholls.

“We have several horses coughing and my first priority is to the owners in my yard. It is my duty to leave no stone unturned now as we prepare for the last three weeks before the [Cheltenham] Festival and, in these circumstances, we do not feel it is appropriate to invite the media on Wednesday.”