Matt Chapman has branded the latest round of huge whip bans from the BHA as ‘utterly embarrasing’.
Kielan Woods was handed a staggering 42-day ban after committing five offences since the new punishments came into effect.
PACheltenham Festival-winning jockey Kielan Woods was handed an enormous ban[/caption]
He wasn’t the only one to cop a massive ban, as established names Jonjo O’Neill Jnr and Marco Ghiani were slapped with 21 and 25-day bans too.
Apprentice Paula Muir also was handed a 35-day ban and Matt Chapman didn’t hold back when giving his opinion live on Sky Sports Racing.
Chapman said: “We’re at an extraordinary rate of bans for jockeys despite the head of the BHA saying she was ‘very encouraged’ by the enormous amounts of suspensions.
“For me, it’s utterly embarrassing that anyone in charge of the BHA can be very encouraged by any of that.
“To any normal person, it would be totally disgraceful.”
Woods is stable jockey to the thriving Ben Pauling stable and enjoyed a career-best season of 58 winners last term.
He and Muir, who both have nine days of their bans suspended if provided they don’t commit further offences, will effectively be riding with one hand tied behind their back for six months.
Muir told Racing Post: “It’s soul destroying. I do accept that I breached the rules, but I didn’t anticipate it was going to be as harsh a penalty as it was.
“You’re thinking a lot in a race and during that period you’re counting in your head a lot. It’s not just about the number of hits, it’s about everyone else around you too.”
279 rides have been found to breach the new whip rules, which came into effect in February.
Jimmy Sullivan talked of the difficulty for jockeys earlier this month when he was banned for winning a seller at Musselburgh.
Richard Patrick also said jockeys were “petrified” to use the whip after he copped a ban just before the Cheltenham Festival.
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