Three more jump jockeys suspended under new whip rules

An additional three professional jump jockeys have been suspended for whip-related offences last week.

Richard Patrick and Ryan Mania will be out of action for eight days, starting on Cheltenham Gold Cup day on March 17, with the two riders having additional offences added to their hearings.

Patrick was found to have used his whip once above the permitted level of seven aboard the Kerry Lee-trained Eaton Collina when winning the 2m3½f novice handicap chase at Chepstow on February 25. He was also deemed to have used his whip in the incorrect place.

Mania similarly went one over the new limit on the Sandy Thomson-trained Leading Force, who finished second in the 2m4½f novice hurdle at Newcastle on the same day.

The three-person panel on the whip review committee deemed Mania to have used his whip without giving his mount time to respond.

An additional ride was identified by the whip review committee, with Alan Johns suspended for four days from March 18 for using his whip once above the permitted level on Twilight Glory, who won the 2m7½f handicap chase at Lingfield for Tim Vaughan on February 20.

Six of the nine jockeys found in breach of the whip rules, which came into effect over jumps on February 13, earlier this week were either conditional or amateur riders.

Read more . . .

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Tom Marquand: 'It's going to be hard to tell what is and isn't acceptable under new whip rules' 

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