AT 5.47pm on June 7, jockey Theodore Ladd had a decision to make.
He was riding the 22-1 shot My Chiquita at Nottingham, and despite her big price she was travelling surprisingly well into the race.
With around two furlongs to run, Ladd had a handful of runners in front of him and one to his left – should he wait for a gap or should he do something braindead?
You probably know the answer, given I wouldn’t be writing about it if he decided to bide his time and wait for a clear run.
Yep, Ladd jammed down on the reins, switched his horse sharply left and very nearly brought down Alhabor on his outside before going on to win the race.
I’ve heard of jockeys wanting to win at all costs at Cheltenham, but in an egg and spoon race at Nottingham? Really?
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It was an horrendous piece of riding, coming hot on the heels of Marco Ghiani’s shocker at Epsom where he almost put Harry Davies and Russet Gold through the rails.
The stewards had a look and decided Ladd’s riding, like Ghiani’s, was merely ‘careless’, slapping him with a five-day ban.
I’d argue it was reckless, bordering on dangerous, two offences which carry much heavier punishments.
What’s it going to take for officials to come down hard on stuff like this? Does a jockey need to die before they pull their fingers out?
Fast forward eight days, when the BHA announced that four repeat offenders would be banned for a total of – wait for it – 123 DAYS for breaches of the new whip rules.
Jumps jockey Kielan Woods was given 42 days – nine suspended – for five breaches in a six-month period.
At some stage, granted, Woods has to look at himself in the mirror, but such a huge ban for what is in actuality a minor breach is tough to stomach, for the jockey and fans of the sport.
During his enforced spell out, he won’t be able to earn a living and it could have a negative impact on his mental health. I know it would affect me if I was in his shoes.
There were also whopping bans for Paul Muir (35 days), who described her suspension for three breaches in six months as 'soul-destroying', our old pal Ghiani (25 days) and Jonjo O’Neill Jr (21 days).
It is impossible to justify the severity of these whip bans when far more serious riding offences are not dealt with in equally draconian fashion.
I mean, you get eight days if you go one over the limit in a big race but just five days if you nearly cause a horse and jockey to hit the deck.
As the actress said to the bishop, proportion is everything, and these suspensions are totally out of whack.
I understand why racing chiefs decided to review the whip rules last year, and one of the factors that led to their decision to tinker them was perception… the perception that the whip hurts the horse.
There is no cast-iron scientific evidence for or against the whip as a welfare issue, and you can’t exactly ask a horse if it stings their arse or not.
But every man, woman and child that works with horses on a daily basis are certain that it is not – so I'm with them.
I will tell you what is a threat to horse welfare – being brought down or sent through plastic railings by a bone-headed piece of riding.
Racing chiefs will rightly say the PJA agreed to the penalty structure when the rules were overhauled, which shows you the level of disarray the jockeys’ association were in at the time.
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But there are new sheriffs in town at the PJA now, so when the sides meet to review the rules in a few months’ time we will surely see the length of penalties slashed.
This issue is getting so tiresome, they have to come together and make the right decision. Please, bigwigs, don't be like Ladd.
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