Penalties Tweaked Ahead of New Whip Rule Deployment

The previously announced new whip regulations will go into force on Monday, but the way penalties are calculated has been “marginally adjusted” according to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

Following feedback from jockeys, there were further amendments to the rules, and the bedding in period for jumps racing was extended by a week.

Under the new regulations, use of the whip in the forehand position will be allowed, with the BHA having reversed a previous decision to ban it after riders' objections. However, use of the whip has been reduced to six and seven strikes over the Flat and Jumps races, respectively.

The penalty structure was also strengthened, with the very worst whip offences potentially resulting in disqualification of horses and riding bans of 20 days–a tariff which will be doubled in Class 1 and 2 races.

In its latest update, the BHA confirmed only offences for use of the whip above the permitted level will be doubled and not offences for use above shoulder height. A tweak to how offences are aggregated where multiple offences are committed in the same ride has also been made.

In a statement, the BHA said, “The rules being implemented on Monday are the result of a detailed consultation process designed to foster more considered and judicious use of the whip.”

“They are being introduced after an extensive bedding-in period which has successfully allowed jockeys and officials to familiarise themselves with the new rules and guidance and identify where improvements can be made to their implementation, or where some jockeys might need to adapt their riding style. This was the purpose of the bedding-in period.”

“We are grateful for the input of the PJA (Professional Jockeys Association), NTF (National Trainers Federation) and a number of senior riders and trainers and we have now reached a position where the new rules and guidance will be implemented in the manner in which they were intended.”

“We were pleased to note jockeys stating that the responsibility now rests on them to ride within the new rules and adapt their riding style where necessary. We have already seen this happening during the bedding-in period, for which jockeys deserve great credit.”

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Prize-Money Boosted For 63 Maiden And Novice Races In The UK

The programming of over 60 high-value 2023 developmental races was announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Wednesday.

Consisting of maidens and novices with purses between £30,000-£50,000, the races will be funded by the BHA, Darley, Juddmonte, and the hosting racecourses. The objective of the prize-money boost is two-fold, with the aims of supporting horses at the beginning of their careers combined with supporting the domestic breeding industry and ensuring more quality young horses are retained to race in the UK. This initiative is intended to be the first step on the path towards a substantial enhancement of the values of Flat maiden and novice races, with discussions ongoing about further improvements for 2024 and beyond.

The races, run over a range of racecourses both large and small across Britain, are as follows:

  • 20 x £30,000 2yo restricted maiden and novice races: supported by Juddmonte
  • 21 x £30,000 2yo open maiden and novice races: supported by the BHA Development Fund
  • 22 x £30,000-£50,000 3yo/3yo+ open maiden and novice races: supported by Darley and the BHA Development Fund

The highest-value races will be held over longer distances, in an effort to continue the production of quality stayers in Britain, while other races will have additional prize-money available for a range of horses, including less expensive horses and more affordable homebreds, also providing a boost for smaller owners and breeders. The full list of 63 races can be viewed here.

Richard Wayman, Chief Operating Officer for the BHA, said, “Well-funded development races provide an opportunity to boost returns to owners in the early stages of their horse's career, thereby potentially supporting the yearling market and, in doing so, assisting breeders at all levels.

“Juddmonte and Darley have been huge supporters of British Racing for decades and we are extremely grateful to them both for their financial assistance towards supporting this important part of the race programme. We look forward to working with them and other parties so that we can build on this significant first step in future years.”

Douglas Erskine Crum, CEO of Juddmonte, said, “We are delighted to be supporting this well targeted BHA initiative to enhance the competitiveness of the British racing and breeding industries. It is an effective kick-start of a long-term plan to enhance prize money substantially for developmental races, with all the benefits that will follow for breeders and owners.

“It is the right place to start for the British racing industry to become more competitive with other major breeding and racing jurisdictions around the world and to support our own breeders and owners.”

Sam Bullard, Director of Stallions for Darley, said, “For many years Darley has worked to support breeders through sponsorship and this new development fund initiative is doing just that, as well as setting a new improved prize-money level for maiden races.

“This, combined with our contribution to the EBF, demonstrates how we can work together for the benefit of racing and are delighted to be involved.”

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Bedding-In Period For New Whip Rules For Jumps Racing Extended By A Week

The bedding-in period for the new whip rules in Jumps racing has been extended by one week, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed on Friday. This follows a meeting between the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and a selection of jockeys.

The extension, requested by jockeys and the PJA, was granted on account of the number of cancelled fixtures last week due to the frozen ground. The full implementation of the new rules for Jumps racing will begin on Feb. 13. The start of the bedding-in period for Flat racing remains Feb. 27, as does the Mar. 27 full implementation date for Flat racing.

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Additional All-Weather Fixture Added at Wolverhampton on Thursday

The BHA has confirmed the addition of an all-weather fixture at Wolverhampton on Thursday, Jan. 19.

Entries for the six-race card, which will carry the option to divide into eight, will close on Tuesday prior to the taking of declarations on Wednesday. Jockey confirmations for Kempton Park's fixture on Thursday will be made on Wednesday in order to line up with this additional Wolverhampton fixture.

Levy Board has contributed £5,950 to the prize money costs for this fixture.

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