Timing less than ideal as racing hopes its riders can stay inside new rules

The next time British racing decides on a major revamp of its whip rules, the number-one thing to remember is not to implement it in the build-up to a major occasion. In 2011, it was the Monday before the very first Champions Day, a fairly obvious disaster in the making. This time, it will be five weeks before Cheltenham, which gives the game a much better chance of not tripping over its own feet but is still perhaps sub-optimal.

For some Irish-based jockeys, the first race in which they'll be asked to confine themselves purely to backhand use of the whip will be the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Imagine you're trying to lift a tiring Abacadabras over the line while Shishkin bears down on you and 70,000 people roar for one outcome or the other; it's hardly the ideal time to be trying something new.

Instinct takes over. Without you even thinking about it, your whip has found its way into the forehand position. No surprise there, you've been doing the job this way for over 20 years. Still, the post is at least three strides away, so there's plenty of time to switch grips and drive your mount forwards . . .