Ahern hit with three-month ban for whip offences
The Flat jockey, who is currently serving a suspension from December 14 until January 3 for separate whip and careless riding incidents, now has a three-month ban on top of that, running from January 4 to April 3.
Ahern was summoned to the BHA disciplinary panel at their Shaftesbury Avenue headquarters in London after finishing second on Marsam in the Buy Tickets On-line Handicap at Southwell on December 12.
Ahern was surprised by the severity of the suspension.
He said: “It was a bit of a blow. I listened to what they had to say and took it on the chin. I’ll be back fresh in April.”
Ahern admitted to the panel he had used his whip with excessive frequency and excessive force and that he hit the gelding in the incorrect place and caused it to weal.
The panel believed Ahern had deliberately set out to go over the threshold so he could start the next Flat season with a clean slate.
And they were quite scathing in their criticism of Ahern in their official findings, which read:
“Ahern hit Marsam 20 times in the last two furlongs and most of those hits were delivered with excessive force.
“It was a shameful exhibition of riding, and Ahern was right to feel uncomfortable at having to view the videos of his ride.
“How did such an experienced jockey come to behave in this way? Was it a misguided action borne of his determination to win (Ahern’s case) or was it designed to trigger the beginning of a “totting-up” penalty that he knew was hanging over him at a convenient time of year (the BHA’s case)?
“There were a number of striking features of this case which persuaded the panel that Ahern was indeed engaged in an exercise to bring on his “totting-up” period of suspension and was therefore in breach of Rule 220 (iii).
“He abused Marsam by his grossly excessive use of force for his own disciplinary convenience, and that conduct is highly prejudicial to the proper conduct and good reputation of horseracing.”
Ahern denied his use of the whip was calculated and pointed to the fact that he was at least as keen to ride during the winter Flat season and had led the winter Flat jockeys’ championship before his latest suspension.
