Tag Archive for: Paul Nicholls

Solo effort one to savour for Nicholls at Kempton

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Solo produced an exhibition round of jumping from the front to provide trainer Paul Nicholls with a yet another victory in the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton.

The Ditcheat handler had saddled a dozen previous winners of the Grade Two contest, with his last three – Cyrname (2018), Tamaroc Du Mathan (2021) and Pic D’Orhy (2022) – all carrying the Solo silks of owner Johnny de la Hey.

Solo had undergone wind surgery since finishing second in a novice handicap at Kempton on Boxing Day and it appears to have done the trick judged on this impressive display.

The 11-4 shot was bounced out in front from flag-fall by Harry Cobden and some slick jumping kept the pressure on his chasing rivals.

Datsalrightgino and 15-8 favourite Boothill attempted to close the gap from the home turn, but Solo was not for catching with another bold leap at the final fence sealing his two-length success.

Nicholls said: “We had a few issues with his breathing and had to cauterise his palate. He had three weeks off and I thought he might be two weeks off his best.

“If we can keep his wind right there’s a lot to look forward to. There’s a race at Sandown the Saturday before the Festival and another valuable handicap here the day after.

“Harry is brilliant when he dictates from the front and he was just that today.”

Nicholls fears Cheltenham woe for Lorcan Williams over whip

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Paul Nicholls fears he will be without jockey Lorcan Williams for the Cheltenham Festival after the rider apparently contravened the new whip rules at Haydock on Saturday.

Williams prevailed by a short head aboard Makin’yourmindup in a driving finish to the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle, but Nicholls believes the rider had committed a whip offence in the process.

New rules surrounding whip use were introduced last Monday, with a tougher penalty structure for breaches, starting at a four-day suspension for going above the permitted seven strikes.

Nicholls indicated Williams had gone above that threshold, with the race’s Grade Two status ensuring any penalties would be doubled under the new regulations, with the champion trainer claiming the rider is expecting 16 days on the sidelines.

However, the Ditcheat team must wait until the whip review committee meets on Tuesday to have any punishment confirmed and with suspensions implemented seven days later, any ban for Williams would not begin until March 7/8, which would rule him out of Cheltenham if the jockey’s prediction is right.

Nicholls told Betfair: “I think Lorcan has got himself into some hot water under these new whip rules. My understanding and his understanding, but it’s got to be confirmed on Tuesday when the whip review panel meets, he thought he was going to get 16 days which would rule him out of Cheltenham which is tough really.

“It’s one of those situations, he said if he hadn’t given him a couple of cracks, he wouldn’t have won. What was he to do, drop his hands and get beat? This is where there’s a grey area and it’s difficult.

“I don’t what the outcome is, but it looks like he’s going to have to sit out Cheltenham which is terribly sad.”

Any whip suspensions incurred this week would come into effect during Cheltenham week, so Nicholls has warned stable jockey Harry Cobden to keep that in mind over the coming days.

Harry Cobden and Paul Nicholls are on red-alert over the whip
Harry Cobden and Paul Nicholls are on red-alert over the whip (David Davies/PA)

He added: “Harry is going to have to be careful – this is the week the lads have got to be careful, up to and including the weekend, because if you get into trouble, that is when you could well miss Cheltenham.

“The following week, with the structure of the whip review and the dates and that, they’d be OK for Cheltenham. The lads have got to be careful and I’ve already stressed to Harry he’s got to be very careful because we don’t want him missing Cheltenham because that would be a disaster for everyone involved.

“These new whip rules are going to cause a headache, I can see that.”

The British Horseracing Authority underlined no decisions on possible riding offences will be made until the whip review panel meets.

A spokesperson said: “The Whip Review Committee have not yet met to consider referrals from last week. Until they meet to consider the rides then no breaches have occurred and no penalties are decided or imposed, and any suggestion as to possible penalties is pure speculation.”

Makin’yourmindup holds on for Prestige prize

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Jockey Lorcan Williams is confident the future is bright for Makin’yourmindup after continuing his progression with victory in the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock.

A £60,000 purchase from the Irish point-to-point field, the son Kayf Tara won successive novice hurdles at Chepstow earlier this season before being beaten at odds-on at Kempton last month.

The six-year-old was a 17-2 chance stepping up to Grade Two level and displayed plenty of tenacity to go with his undoubted talent to win a pulsating duel with Collectors Item by a short head.

Makin’yourmindup – providing trainer Paul Nicholls with a four-timer on the day after a treble at Wincanton – does not hold an entry in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham Festival next month, but his rider is in no doubt that there is plenty for his connections to look forward to in due course.

“The team is in great form, things are going well and this is a lovely horse – I’ve always thought a lot of him,” said Williams.

“I rode him in his first novice hurdle at Wincanton last season (finished second) and as you can see he’s a big horse who just needed a bit of time to grow into himself.

“I had the pleasure of riding him again at Chepstow and you could see how much he’s developed. After I rode him the last day, I said we should go for a Listed or Graded race.

“He should probably go chasing next year as he jumps his hurdles too well if anything, but today he was tough and galloped all the way to the line.

“Three miles is obviously his trip and his future has got to be over the big fences. There’s no need to say how good Paul is with a three-mile chaser and fingers crossed he is going to be a lovely chaser for the future.”

Nicholls anticipating Knappers Hill redemption at Wincanton

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Paul Nicholls expects Knappers Hill is to thrive dropped back in trip for the Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

The seven-year-old is unbeaten in two starts at the track, taking a novice hurdle in 2021 and then landing the Grade Two Elite Hurdle from Sceau Royal in November over the same near two-mile trip he faces here.

Knappers Hill was last seen finishing fourth in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham, tackling an extended two and a half miles on testing ground on New Year’s Day.

Believing the trip and the conditions to have been unsuitable, Nicholls is confident the bay can return to winning ways with more in his favour at Wincanton.

He said: “He’s got a nice chance. There is a chaser switching (Global Citizen) that will want good ground and they’ll have been waiting for this time of year with them.

Knappers Hill
Knappers Hill (right) (David Davies/PA)

“Racing is very competitive at the moment, it’s hard to get those winners but we would like to run well in the big races this weekend with Pic D’Orhy (at Ascot) and Knappers Hill.”

The trainer added: “He’s taken giant strides over the past 18 months and has now won nine of his 13 starts for us, including the Elite Hurdle over this trip and track on Bonfire Night.

“He didn’t quite get home at Cheltenham over two and a half miles on soft ground.

“That has happened before and he will be much happier back at two miles on nice ground. This race should be right up his street.”

Knappers Hill will face just three rivals including Nicky Henderson’s First Street, who finished third in the Relkeel, some eight lengths in front.

Nigel Twiston-Davies is represented by I Like To Move It, the aforementioned Grand Annual winner Global Citizen switches back to hurdles for Ben Pauling.

Passing Well primed for Prestige prize

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Jamie Snowden’s Passing Well will look to continue his progression with a step up in trip for the Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock.

The six-year-old has been making a success of his early hurdling career so far, winning on debut and then finishing fourth when stepped steeply up to Grade One level in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle.

Then returned to slightly less exalted company in a Newcastle novice, the gelding defied a penalty to win comfortably when coming home five and a half lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

The form from the Challow has begun to look increasingly solid in the meantime, with the fifth-placed Marble Sands going on the win the Sidney Banks and Snowden’s own You Wear It Well, second, bolting up in the Grade Two Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Passing Well holds an entry for the Albert Bartlett, and after this Grade Two the contest could be another stepping stone to a novice chasing campaign for him next season.

Snowden said: “He won very nicely first time out this season, then ran well when fourth in the Challow.

“He won very nicely on his last start under a penalty. He’s in the Albert Bartlett and we’ll have to see where we go with him next, but he’s a very exciting horse and he will be especially so next season when he goes novice chasing.”

Paul Nicholls’ Makin’yourmindup is also due to run in the same race, another step forward in a novice hurdling career that has seen him win twice and then finish second on his most recent start.

The latter performance saw him defeated two lengths on soft ground at Kempton and his trainer is hopeful that a run on better going will be of benefit.

“He shapes like an out-and-out stayer, won his first two starts for us this season and was then far from disgraced when finishing second to Collectors Item at Kempton five weeks ago when he wasn’t suited by the slow pace of the race,” he told Betfair.

“He didn’t enjoy the attritional ground that day and will appreciate a stronger gallop at Haydock in a competitive race.”

Joe Tizzard’s Scarface, Richard Bandey’s Saint Palais and Ben Clarke’s Dr Kananga all line up alongside Collectors Item – the winner of Makin’yourmindup’s last start.

More Grade Two honours are on offer in the Betfred Rendlesham Hurdle, a stayers’ contest run at a trip of just over three miles.

Nick Kent’s Erne River is well-fancied for the race having switched back to hurdles recently, with Venetia Williams’ Green Book also in the reckoning after a valuable success last time out.

Greaneteen purposely ‘a tiny bit short’ ahead of Game Spirit spin

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Greaneteen will tune up for the Queen Mother Champion Chase when lining up in the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.

The Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old was beaten two lengths into fourth in the Cheltenham Festival day two feature in 2021, but missed out last year through a setback.

He returned to record his third Grade One success in the Celebration Chase later that spring and was in rude health once again in his seasonal reappearance when making all to take the Haldon Gold Cup.

However, the champion trainer believes Greaneteen ran flat when subsequently second to Edwardstone in defence of his Tingle Creek crown in December and is keen to stress he has left plenty to work on ahead of his Newbury outing, with bigger things to come for Harry Cobden’s mount later in the season.

He said: “He won the Haldon Gold Cup and was then second in the Tingle Creek.

“He loves good ground and we always keep him for the spring. Last year we made the mistake of running him over Christmas at Kempton on soft ground but this was always going to be his prep for the Champion Chase as I’d worked out several of the others were going different places.

“This is a nice race for him but I have left plenty to work on from now until March, as opposed to when he ran in the Haldon Gold Cup. He was ready for his life that day and it was a fantastic performance off his mark and he won nicely.

Jockey Harry Cobden (left) and trainer Paul Nicholls (right) celebrate after Greaneteen wins the Betway Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter
Jockey Harry Cobden (left) and trainer Paul Nicholls (right) celebrate after Greaneteen wins the Betway Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter (David Davies/PA)

“I think he ran a bit flat in the Tingle Creek. Whether that was because I had him ready for the Haldon Gold Cup early, rather than use it as a stepping stone and him improve into the Tingle Creek, he may just have been a bit flat.

“So, we’ve left him a tiny little bit short on purpose, he goes well fresh and obviously we are hoping this will set him up for the Champion Chase and the Celebration.”

Venetia Williams’ Funambule Sivola edged out Sceau Royal to win this 12 months ago before going on to finish second to Energumene in the Champion Chase, but has failed to hit those heights this term and could not get involved in the rearranged Clarence House Chase recently.

In contrast, Joe Tizzard’s Elixir De Nutz left behind a disappointing start to the campaign at Ascot to go close at Doncaster before registering an impressive success at Wincanton last time.

“When he was second at Doncaster we pulled well clear of the third horse and that was a super run, then he put in a good performance at Wincanton over two and a half (miles),” jockey Brendan Powell told Talksport 2.

“He’s probably got a little bit to find on ratings, but there is no reason why he shouldn’t be bang there. He loves it over two miles and Newbury should suit him, so hopefully he can get into a nice rhythm. He stays the two miles really well, so hopefully we will be picking up some prize-money.”

Another horse arriving in peak condition who has been given the chance to test the waters at graded level is Peter Niven’s Malystic.

The nine-year-old has thrived in handicap company the last twice and having reached a career high rating, is reported to be thriving ahead of his hat-trick bid amongst elite company.

“He’s come out of his race a couple of weeks ago really well,” said Niven.

“He’s obviously very high in the handicap and we are short of races really. There is another handicap at Doncaster at the start of March, but he seems so well and I thought if he’s going to have a go in a graded race, this might be right one.

“Obviously Paul’s horse is very good, but you could say there’s question marks about everyone else. I don’t envisage beating Greaneteen, but anything can happen in a horse race as we all know.

“I don’t know what the ground is like, I keep hearing varied reports and if I go down there and it’s very quick, we’ll turn round and bring him home again. But hopefully it is fine.”

Fergal O’Brien’s consistent performer Mortlach completes the quintet heading to post.

Nicholls backing Hitman for Denman redemption

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Hitman has the opportunity to put his King George disappointment behind him when he lines up in the Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury.

A head second in the Old Roan at Aintree on his seasonal bow, the Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old went on to record an impressive 11-length success in a Haydock graduation chase before pulling up in Kempton’s Christmas showpiece on Boxing Day.

However, the champion trainer is willing to put a line through that performance and is backing the Falco gelding to bounce back in a Grade Two contest he holds a fine record in.

Hitman during a visit to Paul Nicholls' Manor Farm Stables
Hitman during a visit to Paul Nicholls’ Manor Farm Stables (David Davies/PA)

The Ditcheat handler has won this twice in the last four years, with both Clan Des Obeaux (2019) and Secret Investor (2021) finding the scoresheet, while the likes of Kauto Star, Denman himself and Silviniaco Conti also feature on the roll of honour for Nicholls.

“It’s been a very good race for us and has always been a very good race on the way to Cheltenham,” said Nicholls.

“Kauto Star won it, Denman won it, all sorts of good horses have won it. Secret Investor beat Clan Des Obeaux one year and Clan went on to win at Aintree.

“It’s a good race, I love winning it, obviously with it being named after Denman.

“Hitman was very fancied in the King George on soft ground. He got a little bit behind then made a really bad mistake which took him out of the race, you can basically put a line through that run.

“He loves good ground, he won at Newbury on decent ground two years ago.

“He’s in good shape and it will tell us if he gets the three miles well, then we can run him over a trip and if he doesn’t then he could end up in the Ryanair.

“He’s very very well and I think he’s got a great chance.”

The Tizzard family are another operation with a fine record in this contest thanks to three-time winner Native River, while Eldorado Allen added to the Venn Farm tally 12 months ago.

That was the nine-year-old’s first try over three miles, but the defending champion has matured into the distance this season to such an extent that Joe Tizzard has reached for a pair of cheekpieces.

Eldorado Allen ridden by jockey Brendan Powell goes on to win the Betfair Denman Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury in 2022
Eldorado Allen ridden by jockey Brendan Powell goes on to win the Betfair Denman Chase during Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury in 2022 (Steven Paston/PA)

“He rarely runs a bad race,” his pilot Brendan Powell told TalkSPORT 2. “I believe he is highest rated on Saturday and after the King George at Kempton, myself and Joe just came to the conclusion to try a bit of headgear on him.

“He’s declared in cheekpieces on Saturday, just to probably make my life a little easier. Last season he was winning a Haldon Gold Cup over two miles, but he made hard work of the King George from a long way out at Kempton and you definitely can’t question his stamina now.

“When we ran in the Denman last year over three miles on good ground I wasn’t convinced he was an out-and-out stayer, but the way he ran at Haydock (Betfair Chase) in soft ground behind Protektorat, it seems stamina is his thing now, so a pair of cheekpieces should hopefully make my life easier and it would be nice to see him get his head in front again.”

Kim Bailey’s Does He Know has seen his Cheltenham victory in November franked since and his handler believes the eight-year-old deserves his chance to test himself in graded company.

He said: “It was a tough race for him (at Cheltenham), it took a lot out of him and we’ve given him plenty of time to come back.

“The plan was to either come here or go to Haydock next weekend and when we looked at the declarations, we felt he was better off running off almost level weights than being the top-end of the handicap, so he deserves his chance to run in a graded race like this and good luck to him.

“Out of this and the Cotswold Chase, this is always the weaker of the two because it falls closer to Cheltenham. I just hope he behaves because the last time he went to Newbury he behaved very badly – he went through the wing in the Challow Hurdle if you remember.

“He seems in a good place and we’re really happy with him, now it’s simply a question of how he behaves.”

Kalashnikov ridden by jockey Jack Quinlan on the way to winning the Devenish Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in 2019
Kalashnikov ridden by jockey Jack Quinlan on the way to winning the Devenish Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in 2019 (Nigel French/PA)

Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick form will be put to the test when the third Fanion D’Estruval represents Venetia Williams at a venue he has tasted success at in the past, while Kalashnikov faded into sixth on that occasion when making his comeback from a long absence, but Amy Murphy’s stable stalwart is another with some of his finest hours in Berkshire.

“He’s in good form,” said Murphy. “It looks a very good race on paper, but we know he likes Newbury so we thought we would take our chance.

“You would have to think that Newbury is one of his favourite tracks, so hopefully it is worth us being there.

“He had a good blow at Wetherby, so we very much hope he has taken a step forward from that.”

Anthony Honeyball’s Sam Brown and the Philip Hobbs-trained Zanza complete the seven-strong field.

National tide will turn at some point, says Nicholls

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Paul Nicholls believes the lack of entries by British-based trainers in this year’s Randox Grand National is cyclical and that within a few seasons the pendulum may well swing back.

Threeunderthrufive is Nicholls’ sole entry for the Aintree spectacular, as just 31 of 85 initial entries hailed from the home-based team.

Nicholls stated his Ditcheat yard is currently stacked with young talent, backed up by Grade One winners Hermes Allen and Tahmuras, rather than staying chasers. But in the future he may be in a position to enter plenty more.

“I only had one horse I entered that was suitable, in the future I may have four or five, it just depends on your team of horses,” he said.

Threeunderthrufive is Nicholls' only Grand National entry
Threeunderthrufive is Nicholls’ only Grand National entry (Tim Goode/PA)

“I’m in a bit of a situation at the moment where I’ve a lot of young horses coming through and they aren’t going to be running in a National.

“Sometimes people look into things too much and it just goes round in circles a little bit. You only need one good horse to win the race from the yard’s point of view, but if you haven’t got anything suitable at the time then you can’t invent them – it’s just the way it is at the moment.

“There’s no good looking into things too much, it’s just the way it is at the moment and it will soon come back round.

“I’d love to have four or five entered, we just don’t have the right horse at the right time but I’m sure we will have in the future.”

Neptune Collonges (left) pipped Sunnyhillboy in the 2012 Grand National
Neptune Collonges (left) pipped Sunnyhillboy in the 2012 Grand National (David Davies/PA)

He went on: “You can run quality horses in it. The best horse I ever ran in it, Neptune Collonges, won the race. He was probably one of the highest rated to win it.

“I wouldn’t worry. I could probably have entered Frodon but he’s not going to win it off the mark he has and he’s not the biggest in the world so I wouldn’t want to run him as I didn’t think he was suitable.

“Neptune was the perfect horse, he had a high rating, was class and stayed forever. If you haven’t got the right horse there’s no point doing it.”

Betfair Hurdle day at Newbury is one Nicholls looks forward to

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Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is readying a strong squad for one of his favourite meetings of the season at Newbury on Saturday.

Two solid chances in the feature Betfair Hurdle with Hacker Des Places and Rubaud, Hitman looking to get back on track in the race named after former Ditcheat star Denman and McFabulous aiming to emulate Bravemansgame in the opening race, there is plenty to go at.

But it is Greaneteen in the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase Nicholls will be watching with most interest, given how the Queen Mother Champion Chase picture has changed in recent weeks.

The defeats of Energumene, Edwardstone and Blue Lord have opened up the race and Nicholls hopes his three-time Grade One winner can re-enter the picture.

“He ran very well in the Champion Chase two years ago when I don’t think he was anywhere near as good a horse as he is now and he wasn’t beaten too far,” said Nicholls.

Greaneteen won the Haldon Gold Cup earlier in the season
Greaneteen won the Haldon Gold Cup earlier in the season (David Davies/PA)

“The last couple of weeks the (Champion Chase) waters have been muddied a little bit, which often happens at this time of year, but we’ve always thought this was the perfect race to run him before Cheltenham.

“He loves good ground and I’ve left him a little short rather than have him fully wound up like I did for the Haldon Gold Cup, which was possibly why he was a little bit flat in the Tingle Creek this year.

“We’ve left plenty to work on, he’s nice and fresh so hopefully he’ll run very well en route to Cheltenham.”

In the Betfair Hurdle Nicholls saddles the second- and third-favourites behind Emmet Mullins’ Filey Bay.

“Hacker Des Places keeps on going up a little bit and has a 5lb penalty so we could have done without that – he did surprise me by winning the other day so he could well be improving. Angus (Cheleda) does take the 5lb off,” he said.

“Angus gets on very well with him. He won at Aintree on him and the other day at Cheltenham and rides him most days at home so that 5lb is handy. He probably learned the last day not to be in front too soon.

“Rubaud has only got a mark of 130 and I actually think that’s OK compared to some of my other novices.

“It’s a competitive race, but there’s no Champion Hurdle horse in it like there can be some years so it’s a good competitive handicap.

“You always hope your novices are decent, he’d only had one poor run last year but he came from France and hadn’t acclimatised. I did always like him and I didn’t want to run again after Kempton and risk getting a penalty, praying it was going to be good ground. We’re hoping we’ve got a live chance.”

McFabulous may not go on to emulate King George winner Bravemansgame – who won this race 12 months ago – but he is already rated highly.

Nicholls said: “He’s got to run off a mark of 153 which is quite tough, but there are only two others declared. One is getting a stone off him and the other a stone and a half so that evens it up a bit.

“He loves good ground, won very nicely in a Grade Two earlier in the season and while he might have plenty of weight I’m sure he’ll take a bit of beating.”

Nicholls also runs two nice types in Fire Flyer and Meatloaf in the closing Betfair-sponsored bumper, but says nothing should be read into jockey bookings.

“In the bumper, which is always a nice race – we ran Al Ferof in it before he was second to Cue Card at Cheltenham – we have Fire Flyer who won nicely at Ascot, we like him a lot, and Meatloaf who won at Wincanton and was just touched off at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day,” said Nicholls.

“Jockey-wise Lorcan (Williams) won on Fire Flyer and Harry (Cobden) has ridden Meatloaf so I made the decisions. I wouldn’t know which is better than the other.”

For once there appears to be little doubt whether a big weekend meeting will take place, with clerk of the course Keith Ottesen and his team covering the track from the frost earlier in the week.

Ottesen said: “We’re in a good place and will be fine for Saturday. It dropped to minus 2C overnight, but by 7am there was no frost. It’s going to be slow, good ground and it’s very different to what it was in November when we were having to water it a little bit to get it to good.

“It doesn’t look as though we’re going to freeze overnight on Friday so we’ll probably take the covers off on Friday.”

Cobden ‘ban’ for winning ride leads Nicholls to call for new whip rules to be delayed

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Multiple champion trainer Paul Nicholls has called for the introduction of the new whip rules to be delayed until after the major spring festivals.

Nicholls took to social media to condemn the proposed new regulations after it was suggested his stable jockey Harry Cobden would have picked up a 24-day ban for his winning ride on Il Ridoto at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The same was also said of Sean Bowen, currently second in the jockeys’ championship behind Brian Hughes, for his successful ride on Back On The Lash in the Cross Country Chase.

The new rules are due to come into force on February 13. Jockeys are currently riding within a ‘bedding-in’ period where the current regulations apply for sanctions purposes, but riders are being advised if they would have breached the new rules.

Nicholls tweeted: “Two fantastic top rides. How they can get bans is beyond me. Cobden excelled on Il Ridoto. This all needs postponing until after the spring festivals otherwise this is all going to be a disaster for the sport. For once common sense needs to prevail.”

Cobden confirmed on Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast that he had fallen foul of the new rule concerning using the whip over shoulder height.

He said: “I went into the stewards’ room and they froze the images of the replay where they thought my hand was over shoulder height on three of the hits.

“You could clearly see that I was in breach of the rule, my hand was ever so slightly over and I was told that I would get eight days for each hit. Because it was a class one race that it was why it was eight days rather than four, so I would have come out of the race with a 24-day ban.”

Il Ridoto and Harry Cobden (right) on their way to victory on Saturday
Il Ridoto and Harry Cobden (right) on their way to victory on Saturday (David Davies/PA)

He went on: “I’ve always ridden like this, I’ve never been called in for over shoulder height before. Before Saturday I hadn’t ridden for 12 days, so had missed a lot of the bedding-in period.

“It’s difficult, we’re all trying but I think that rule definitely needs to be tweaked.

“We’re happy with the penalty structure, the numbers we are fine with, the only rule we have an issue with, and the one that keeps popping up, is the over shoulder height, so I think we need to change the wording or do something about it.

“I don’t think lessening the penalties will work as jockeys will still get banned. Somehow we need to change the wording of that rule. If it looks forceful then fair enough, but if you are riding a horse like I rode Il Ridoto, nobody sees anything wrong with that and I think it’s unfair to get 24 days for one ride.

“If your arm is straight up then that is not right, but if your hand is a couple of inches above and it doesn’t look out of place, I don’t think it should be a problem.”

The British Horseracing Authority, however, underlined the stewards are not responsible for the length of the bans as that will fall under the remit of the Whip Review Committee that will regularly meet on Tuesdays.

On its Twitter account, the said: “The BHA is aware of information being posted on social media speculating about potential ‘suspensions’ under the new whip rules. Please note this information is not accurate as the Whip Review Committee have not yet met this week to consider the rides in the period 16 – 29 Jan.

“Also, a reminder that no suspensions are being imposed at present. The purpose of the bedding-in period is to provide riders with information as to where adaptations to riding style might be needed ahead of full implementation of the rules on 13 Feb.”

A previously scheduled meeting will take place in the coming days between the BHA, Professional Jockeys Association and trainers and jockeys as part of the ongoing discussion surrounding the new rules, but not on the back of the fallout of last weekend’s racing.