Jockey facing possible lengthy whip ban very sorry for his 'mistake' - but trainer insists he didn't hit horse on the head

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The Brazilian jockey whose overuse of the whip may lead to a lengthy ban and his mount being disqualified is "very sorry", according to the horse's trainer Diego Dias, who vowed that rider Diego Lima will "learn from his mistake".

However, Dias disputed the finding that Lima hit his mount on the head in the stalls, an incident that led to the jockey being suspended for two days.

Lima, 44, was having his first ride in Britain on Ranting Duke in the two-year-old race at York on Thursday and faces further punishment for his use of the whip during the race, on a 50-1 shot who finished second past the post.

Ranting Duke (light blue) finishes second to Persian SpringCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

That will be determined by the BHA whip review committee when it meets next Tuesday. The panel has the power to disqualify the horse for a serious breach of the rules, which restrict a jockey to six hits.

The Racing Post does not have access to all the camera angles that the committee will have access to, nor the same quality of pictures, but it appears that Lima may have used the whip 11 times.

Ranting Duke is trained by Diego Dias, who trains in County Kildare in Ireland and said at York on Friday: "Diego was trying to win his race and he just lost count, he's very sorry. The horse is fine after the race, that's the main thing, there is not even one mark on him.

Diego Lima comes to challenge on The Ranting Duke but appeared to go way beyond the whip limit while doing soCredit: Racing TV

"He ran a good race. He's a nice horse and possibly a Coventry horse, he might go to Ascot."

Stewards were empowered to adjudicate on the day about Lima's offence at the start and banned him because he "appeared to use his whip in an inappropriate and unacceptable way in the stalls."

But Dias stressed: "He did not hit the horse on the head. He went to put his hands on the neck of the horse, the horse shook his head and because Diego had the whip in his hand it looked like he hit him but he didn't."

The trainer added: "It's one of those things, he'll learn from his mistake."

Trainer Diego Dias: "It's one of those things, he'll learn from his mistake."Credit: David Carr

Lima has ridden in Brazil, Australia and Bahrain. He has had two rides in Ireland, including one for Dias, and none previously in Britain but will not be able to plead ignorance of the rules.

Greg Swift, BHA director of communications and corporate affairs, was at York on Thursday and said at the track today: "He had gone through all the usual protocols beforehand.

"He'd done the riding module, he'd been spoken to by the stewards before the race to go through the rules again. He was talked through everything and asked whether he understood it all and he said yes."

There was no such controversy for Dias as Armor Supreme, ridden by Rossa Ryan, earned a trip to Royal Ascot when just touched off in the Listed Marygate Fillies' Stakes at York on Friday.

"That was a great run in just her second race," the trainer said. "She has a big future and the Queen Mary is where she will go next."    

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