Whip regulations not well thought out

THERE is only one topic in racing at the moment and that is what’s going on in England with the whips.

It’s very hard for jockeys, in the heat of the moment, to remember “where is the furlong pole?”, “how many times did I hit him before it?” and “how many times did I hit him after it?” I know you have people saying “can’t they count?” but you’re riding a half ton of horse flesh, trying to keep it balanced, to ride a race and to win. That’s what your focus should be on.

If a jockey has had his quota and puts his whip down and gets beaten as a result, what purpose does that serve? It seems not to have been very well thought out. It looks fine on paper but there are so many extenuating circumstances.