IT’S the debate that’s going to run and run. When to punish and how severe should be that sanction. Whether you think it is a media driven debate or it comes from a genuine attempt to address an increasing issue of safety in race-riding for jockeys, the argument on the degree of punishment that is merited in different riding offences, was still running on strongly this week.

Speaking on Sky Racing’s Racing Debate last Sunday, Charlie Poste unknowingly hit the nail on the head, when he said “jockeys don’t deliberately go out to cause interference”. No one really said they did. The crux of the debate, is that it’s not that they are ‘knowingly’ doing it, it’s the casual regular occurrences that are the worrying issue and the lack of consistency, especially as on the day suspensions are overturned as in the Rab Havlin incident in Yarmouth.