NERVOUS jockeys will be on edge this week as ANY ride in breach of new whip rules could mean they miss Cheltenham Festival.
Paul Nicholls has already warned his No1 rider Harry Cobden not to go above the strike limit.
Even one over the permitted seven will result in a four-day ban which kicks in on the first day of Cheltenham.
However, for minor offences a regulatory loophole means they could still race at the Festival.
For the smallest offence, the entry-level four-day ban can be moved to avoid a Grade 1 fixture.
That in theory means any ban can be moved to avoid the Festival, which has a host of Grade 1s on each of its four days.
But any punishment more severe – such as going two over the seven strike limit – will result in a seven-day ban that cannot be moved, regardless of quality of race.
Anything over the most minor offence will mean a jockey missing the biggest week of racing all year.
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Racing was in disarray yesterday as it emerged 19 jockeys had been banned for a total of 134 days as the first whip punishments were dished out.
Whip suspensions are decided each Tuesday by the BHA's whip review committee.
Lorcan Williams was hit the hardest, copping an 18-day ban for his winning ride on Makin'yourmindup in the Grade 2 Prestige Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.
Any punishments incurred in Class 1 or 2 races are automatically doubled.
He went two strokes over the limit and was deemed to use the whip above shoulder height – and he will now have to sit out the Cheltenham Festival.
The rider, used frequently by Paul Nicholls, said: "I'm absolutely devastated to be missing the four biggest days of the year.
"I won't be the only one but I'm absolutely heartbroken."
Brant Dunshea, the chief regulatory officer at the BHA, defended the number of bans dished out and said the onus was on the jockeys to ride within the rules.
He said: "Jockeys have had more than four weeks to adapt to the new rules through the bedding-in period.
"As the jockeys themselves have stated, it is now up to them to ensure that they ride within the new rules.
“Disqualification has been introduced as the ultimate deterrent for overuse of the whip.
"There is simply no excuse for using the whip four or more times above the permitted level.
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"It was always likely that the disqualification rule would need to be invoked in the early stages of the implementation of the new rules.
"We hope that this sends a clear message to all jockeys and reinforces this deterrent effect."
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