Great Britain Toughens Whip-Use Penalties

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Jockeys in Great Britain will face stiffer penalties for excessive use of the whip.

Beginning Oct. 10, jockeys will face a minimum suspension of five days for not adhering to stricter limits. The previous minimum penalty was a caution, but the British Horseracing Authority found that was not an effective deterrent.

A jockey that incurs a whip ban of three days or more will forfeit his riding fee and purse percentage.

The whip can now only be used a maximum of seven times in a Thoroughbred flat race and eight times in a jump race, including only five times in the last furlong or after the last obstacle. It is about half the number of times a whip could be used previously.

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