Kielan Woods handed 'appropriate' 18-day totting-up whip ban

Kielan Woods's status as a new father and the cold snap that crippled the fixture list this month were considered when he was banned for 18 days for misuse of the whip on Thursday.

Woods, whose profile in Britain's jumps weighing room is on the rise, listened in as an independent disciplinary panel convened to deliberate what penalty he should face after he was referred by Sandown stewards for his effort on Wilde About Oscar in a handicap hurdle at the course on December 3.

Riding the gelding for Dan Skelton, Woods, who has enjoyed a fruitful link in recent seasons with the ambitious Ben Pauling, was found to have used his whip above the permitted level and, as the offence warranted a suspension of between two and six days and was the rider's fifth such ban from 181 rides in the last six months, the matter was referred to the BHA's head office.

James O'Mahony, Chloe Fairley and Alison Royston formed the independent panel analysing the case, while Lyn Williams was on duty for the BHA and Rory Mac Neice represented Woods, who registered Cheltenham Festival and Grade 1 success last term and has already enjoyed his most prolific campaign.

Millers Bank: a Grade 1 winner for Woods in the springCredit: Edward Whitaker

He was at Ffos Las, where he was booked for two rides on Thursday's card, for the remote hearing, which hinged on how he should be punished for the Sandown ride and how that would sit against his previous portfolio of misdemeanours under the BHA's totting-up procedure.

The BHA's new whip rules, set to be implemented over jumps on February 6 and on the Flat the following month, were referenced by Mac Neice, who said his client had them in mind during one of his transgressions – hitting a horse in the wrong place in the back-hand position – in the six-month period in question, which demonstrated Woods "attempting to implement new rules and being mindful of new rules".

"I'm not sure if that's mitigatory or not, but what it does reflect is a rider who is conscious of his obligations and keen to try new techniques as new rules are introduced for riders' use of the whip," Mac Neice added to the panel.

He then explained the 30-year-old had already organised a day's training with Richard Perham at the British Racing School in Newmarket, which would have already happened but for the recent freezing temperatures, and sought further advice and expertise from renowned jockey coach Mick Fitzgerald.

Mac Neice, before the verdict was reached, went on to say to the panel: "You are asked to impose a penalty that reflects proportionally the level of wrongdoing and breach you have considered today in relation to Sandown and elsewhere.

"I ask you do that, taking into account Mr Woods's specific circumstances and you will, of course, be able to judge to what extent you are prepared to do that.

"Mr Woods and his wife are brand new parents and Mr Woods's income this month has already been very significantly reduced, through no-one's fault, I hasten to add, through the fixture cancellations caused by bad weather. Even an entry point of 21 days with seven days deferred means an immediate further half-month of no further earnings for him. Mr Woods is the sole breadwinner in his family."

Woods after winning the Grand Annual on Global Citizen at the Cheltenham FestivalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

After a brief period of discussion, the panel imposed a ban of 18 days, although six of those will be deferred for two months and its chair O'Mahony said: "The eyes of the world are on horseracing with many concerned about equine welfare. There are no equine welfare issues in this case and we do know about the nature of the whip and how it is deployed, but there is concern and we have to have regard to that; the rules are the rules.

"At the same time, we have to consider a young man who has recently had the happy event that has taken place as far as his family is concerned and every day is a day of his livelihood, and we have had the situation of races being abandoned significantly in recent times.

"These matters have to be very carefully considered."

O'Mahony added the penalty for the Sandown breach – in the panel's view a four-day suspension and not a two-day ban as Mac Niece suggested – was "pivotal" but "not definitive" and continued: "We recognise 181 rides is on the busy end and there were 41 rides with no offence and no previous referral in the last three years.

"We take into account all the submissions by Mr Mac Niece and have come to the conclusion, having made the decision as to the four days, the appropriate penalty in this case is below the entry point and is one of 18 days. One third of that will be deferred for two months."

Woods will be out of action from December 30 to January 10, although one day will be for his training with Perham and, if necessary, the final day will be deferred until that session.

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