The British Horseracing Authority goes a step further; Richard Hughes ends up relinquishing his riding license after being penalized at Kempton too
It was at Play Rainbow Riches At bluesq.com Maiden Fillies' Stakes on the Kempton racecourse that Richard Hughes was onboard More Than Words when he got banned a second time during this week for violating the British Horseracing Authority’s regulation of
using no more than five whips during the final furlong.
Before Kempton it was at Salisbury that both Richard Hughes and Kieren Fox got suspended for committing the same mistake. The five-day suspension from Monday and now a ten-day imposition at the Kempton has left the jockey with not being able to ride for
fifteen days.
The reason that the punishment went being double this time was because the offence was undertook a second time that also within a week which obviously is a very short duration.
He told Racing UK: "I've handed my licence in until further notice. I've been trying to obey the rules this week and when the rules came in we all thought seven was a fair number, but then they set a trap by saying you could only hit them five in the last
furlong”.
He added: "The new rules mean you actually hit them more, as you have to get two into them before the furlong pole and then you have five for the final furlong. I was always told as a young lad the last jockey to go for stick usually wins. I don't think
I can do my owners justice any more”.
Further in his defense Richard Hughes explained that his understands and relates to the horses he rides thus it is evident that some rather most of the horses need constant reinforcement in order to speed up specially in the final furlong. He even said that
he is not a ‘whip jockey’ and only uses the whip when and if it is needed.
Due to the ban Richard Hughes will end up missing the Breeders’ Cup and is also inquisitive that if these rules prevail then how would it be possible to ride the sorts that are tricky, for instance Strong Suit is a horse who needs to be guided throughout
the track for eventually winning the race.
The impact of these bans is being strictly criticized by connections and colleagues as the ambassador of the sport, Richard Hughes, has resolved to quit riding in the advent of the British Horseracing Authority’s rules do not get reviewed and revised. Loss
of such an instrumental jockey would put the entire industry under suffering thus the rules do need to be reconsidered.
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