CHOOSING a fitting punishment for any crime is not easy, with either the perpetrator or injured parties likely to be dissatisfied, if not both.

Perhaps the fairest method of judging the sufficiency of penalties is whether the culprit reoffends, for if they do, then it suggests that in their mind, the benefits of their actions outweigh the possible retribution.

The fact that Shane Foley has been found guilty of careless riding on 35 occasions throughout his career is proof that the current rules are an insufficient deterrent.

It’s conceivable that Foley’s experience of the system led him to believe he could ride carelessly and impede others without correcting his mount and remain a Group 1 winner.

Sadly, onlookers also knew this as the Irish Champions Stakes was reminiscent of another incident at the very same meeting in 2021, when Foley won the Matron Stakes aboard 25/1 shot No Speak Alexander.

On that occasion, as per last weekend, his horse hung away from the whip and squeezed challenging rivals, while Foley continued to ride out a finish, without correcting his horse or switching his whip.

That day, the stewards reacted with a five-day ban and, just one hour later, suspended Foley for another three days for similar offences aboard Real Appeal in the Group 2 Boomerang Mile.

Aidan O’Brien, whose 6/5 favourite Mother Earth was worst affected in the Matron Stakes, later told the Racing Post: “There aren’t many countries in the world where you could get away with that and not get a month’s ban, because to me that is dangerous riding.

“If the jockeys are allowed to do those things and are not given severe penalties, it will keep happening.”

If a figure as powerful as Aidan O’Brien can make such strong criticisms of the penalties and not incite change, one wonders what must happen for the Irish authorities to act.

I just hope it doesn’t take a serious injury to bring change, and if it does, will 100% of the blame lie with the offender, or the rules that shaped their thinking?