Whip Debate - A Victory For Common Sense

The British Horseracing Association has announced that as of this morning – Friday – 21st - the controversial whip rules have been changed.
In a nutshell the five strikes rule in the final furlong on the flat or after the last obstacle over the sticks has been dropped. The original limit on the number of strikes allowed remains as before seven times in a flat race and eight over jumps.
A further change is that jockeys will no longer lose their riding fee if falling foul of the regulations and will only forfeit the percentage of any prize money due if copping for a suspension of seven days or more - therefore a jockey who uses one more strike than allowed will not lose their prize money percentage. Any ban incurred since the start of the new ruling system will now fall under the new revised rules making Christophe Soumillon a very happy man no doubt as he will now get his £52,000 share of the prize money for his Champion Stakes victory and we will also see Richard Hughes returning to the saddle.
For once common sense wins out.