First disqualified winner under new whip rules after Alex Edwards goes nine strikes over the limit at Market Rasen

A deflated Pam Sly on Tuesday expressed sympathy with Alex Edwards, who won a race at Market Rasen on the trainer's Mixedwave last week but has had the victory stripped because the jockey broke the BHA's new whip rules.

The gelding, who runs in the colours of Pam's People, becomes the first winner to be disqualified from a race under the new guidelines, which were introduced in February.

The new rules state that any rider who goes four strikes or more over the permitted level will trigger the automatic disqualification of their mount. Lunar Discovery was the first to be thrown out after finishing second in a bumper at Ayr in February.

Edwards, who has been riding since 2011 and won the hunter chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019 on Hazel Hill, is now set to miss most of December after receiving a 24-day ban for striking his horse nine times above the permitted limit of seven. The race has been awarded to the runner-up Post Chaise, trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

"Disqualification was introduced as the ultimate deterrent for overuse of the whip and there can be no excuse for exceeding the permitted level by nine uses," a BHA spokesperson said.

"As well as extensive consultation and communication, jockeys were required to undertake online training modules, which clearly set out the new rules prior to riding under them.

"The wide-ranging understanding of what may trigger a disqualification, and the steps taken by jockeys to adapt well to the new rules, is demonstrated by the fact this is the first time in almost 8,000 races the rule has been invoked following a winning ride."

Trainer Pam Sly: "We just move on. I'll still use Alex"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Sly, who won the 1,000 Guineas in 2006 with Speciosa, said: "I feel sorry for the owners and my staff, who have worked hard to get that horse to the races and to win a race.

"I know it's the jockey's fault, but straight after I didn't know what had happened. I was then headed up by one of the Racing TV pundits, who said he didn't know if I'd keep the race. I looked at him and said, 'What?!' But he added he thought we were over the limit.

"I've spoken to Alex, who is very upset, but I'm sorry for him and told him we just move on. I will still use him and not hold it against him at all – I'm not that sort of person."

Sly, who trains near Peterborough, added: "The owners aren't going to be very happy, but there's nothing we can do about it. The horse has gone up 5lb for winning that race, which he still has despite now being disqualified, but you just have to take everything thrown at you.

"I have to go with these whip rules and whatever the BHA says, but I'm 80 and have been training [in some capacity] since I was 23 and there was nothing offensive about Alex's ride, while there wasn't a mark on the horse – I'd say if there was." 

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