Julie Harrington: whip rules had to change for Cheltenham - this can make the sport look better

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington has expressed guarded confidence the Cheltenham Festival will not be scarred by damaging whip stories as she underscored the meeting's crucial role as a shop window for recruitment of new and younger fans.

This week's introduction of new riding rules in Britain has become a topic of debate on the other side of the world after Harrington addressed more than 600 delegates from 40 racing nations at the Asian Racing Conference in Australia. The new rules include a smaller number of hits permitted in races, disqualification as a penalty for serious excessive infringements and a revision to what is acceptable usage above shoulder height.

Harrington, the most senior member of a large British contingent at the conference in Melbourne, told the audience the whip rules had been framed as part of "a suite of activity around horse welfare", part of which was intended to help the sport gain new followers.