The BHA has sought to balance the principal objectives of the Review with any practical difficulties that may be arising for jockeys, listening also to their concerns around the fairness of the penalty structure. The Board has therefore approved the following measures:
1. Penalties: Penalties imposed for excessive frequency have been lessened (for a defined monitoring period of the current Jumps season).
2. Group 1 / Grade 1 Exemptions: Group 1 / Grade 1 exemptions for whip offences shall be reinstated for whip rule breaches attracting penalties of four days suspension or less. This brings the whip regulations into line with other offences.
3. Discretion: The Stewards will have enhanced discretion when it comes to the use of the whip, and whether specific uses should count towards the race total, on a case-by-case basis.
4. Monitoring: Should the PJA itself set up a group to monitor and assess the impact of the new Rules, focusing in particular on practical issues as they relate to Jump racing but overall not limited in its scope, then clear terms of engagement between this Group and the BHA will be developed. This will result in formal, structured dialogue which will take place throughout the Jumps season, with the BHA also continuing and enhancing its own monitoring procedures.
The Board will also adjust where appropriate the period of suspension imposed on any rider who has either not commenced serving a period of suspension or has served only part of a period of suspension imposed for a breach of the whip Rules. They have also ordered that, where appropriate, prize money is paid to those jockeys whose period of suspension is reduced to below 7 days as a result of the changes recommended in this paper.
1 comment:
and in English that means - that McCoy will still get frequently as he rides as well in a low grade race as he does in a Group race. Either scrap the whip altogether or leave things as they were - including Aintree!!
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