THE whip sanctions in Britain reared their head again as following Paddy Brennan’s King George suspension, Tom Scudamore was given a seven-day ban for his winning ride on Soll last Saturday at Sandown.

The whip, the stick, the persuader, that implement of encouragement designed not to mark the horse, however you describe it, it’s still a topic of controversy.

The central debate centres on whether it is a welfare issue or just how it looks bad. Nobody is saying there should be no guidelines at all. It’s the number of strikes that has become the issue.

Pat Eddery told a story that when he served his time with Frenchie Nicholson, apprentices were told the whip (and it was a proper whip then) was not meant to hurt the horse but to frighten them into running faster. The modern day whip is designed not to injure horses. Ruby Walsh, who got a two-day ban for his ride on Vautour in the King George, said in his Paddy Power blog: “I actually only counted how many times I used the whip from the last and hadn’t factored in the four times I used it to help Vautour jump the last.”

Paddy Brennan’s analysis on At The Races’ On The Line, of how he got into trouble, was similar: “I’ve had to go for it from three out, it’s not the way I ride, I love to get to two out, get two cracks in and think I’ve got x amount left.” That shows jockeys have adapted to the new rules and are thinking of how to stay within them.

But a King George is a King George. In a few years time would you want to look back at a short-head defeat and think one more would have done it? Who will put down a whip if there’s 10 yards left and the horse is closing?

What might be of more help to jockeys in the future, taking into account Walsh and Brennan’s comments, would be to not allow a whip to be used before the last fence. Yes, the run-in is much longer at Kelso than at Kempton, and Aintree even more, but it is the same as currently having eight strikes for a three mile chase and seven for a six furlong sprint and it would be easier for jockeys to remember.