Rules proving difficult: McCoy

Tony McCoy believes the new whip guidelines have proved harder to put into practice than many expected since being introduced on Monday.

The rules state that jockeys in National Hunt races can strike their mounts no more than eight times, including five times after the final obstacle.

Riders on the Flat are allowed a maximum of seven ’hits’, with no more than five permitted in the final furlong.

A number of jockeys have found the latter rule particularly difficult to implement, with Richard Hughes deciding to hand in his licence after being given his second ban of the week at Kempton on Thursday.

Talk of a potential jockeys’ strike cooled on Friday after the British Horseracing Authority agreed to meet members of the Professional Jockeys Association on Monday to discuss their grievances.

“It is more difficult (than expected). I was in a close finish at Huntingdon the other day and if I’m honest, I was actually more worried about nearly counting the times I’d hit the horse than trying to win,” McCoy told Channel 4 Racing’s The Morning Line.

“You obviously want to stay within the guidelines and don’t want to break the rules, but you don’t want to take away the competitiveness of trying to win and that’s what it’s about for everyone.

“Everyone, including the jockeys, were aware that changes had to be made. I just think the majority of the members of the PJA are probably not happy with the way a lot of it was structured.

“In life, you can’t keep everyone happy. Whatever decisions are made won’t keep everyone happy, that includes the BHA, the jockeys and everyone.

“I think what you need to do is try and make the right decisions for the sport and hopefully it works out.”