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Lengthy totting-up ban handed to jockey Eddy Greatrex after five whip offences in six months

Eddy Greatrex: best season was in 2018
Eddy Greatrex: was handed a 28-day ban for whip rule breachesCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Flat jockey Eddy Greatrex was on Tuesday handed a 28-day totting-up ban, nine days of which have been suspended, after admitting to breaching the whip rules five times during the last six months.

The 26-year-old was referred to the BHA's independent disciplinary panel by the Whip Review Committee after being found to have used his whip once above the permitted level of six aboard Mighty Bandit, who was beaten by a neck in a Class 4 handicap at Windsor on September 16. Both sides agreed to an entry-point suspension of 28 days, with nine days suspended and one day spent undergoing training.

Charlotte Davison, representing the BHA, noted that the five offences, for a mixture of overuse of the whip and technical breaches, were committed during a period of three and a half months, with the final three suspensions picked up between August 14 and the jockey's most recent offence. However, she also described the fact all of his breaches incurred the minimum sanctions as a mitigating factor.

Rory Mac Neice, representing Greatrex, asked the panel to consider the jockey's absence from the saddle during the bedding-in period of the new whip rules, introduced last year. Greatrex, the son of Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Warren, was forced to retire in July 2021 due to persistent back problems linked to a fall at Ascot in 2019, before returning in April following multiple surgeries.

Warren and Eddy Greatrex were on the mark at Salisbury with Dear Cat
Eddy Greatrex (right) with his father WarrenCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He has readily agreed to a period of training as part of the fast-track agreement," said Mac Neice. "His time away fell during the important transition period implementing the current whip rules, in which riders were having to learn and adapt to a significantly new regime. From the outset, he's adopted the BHA's position, recognising the fact he's been referred and his commitment not to be referred again.

"He has reflected carefully on this referral and Mr Greatrex recognises he's put a great deal of pressure on himself to return immediately or very quickly to his previous position as a rider, which has on rare occasions made him susceptible to becoming overanxious in races and in his words, to try to make things happen. That shows a striking maturity and insight on his part."

Delivering the panel's verdict, its chair James O'Mahony said: "We note somewhat significant concern that the final three offences were committed in just over one month. However, the fact there's been no previous referrals in the last five years, coupled with all the offences receiving the lowest penalty available, are significant mitigating factors although it is not a passport to lenient judgement from the panel.

"We have particular sympathy for the circumstances of his serious back injury and recovery, and we do regard the fact that unlike other jockeys he did not have the advantage of getting to grips with the new rules in the transitional period, through no fault of his own, so we're just persuaded that we can let matters rest as proposed during the fast-track procedure."

Greatrex was a prolific apprentice who won the Balmoral Handicap on Godolphin's Musaddas at Ascot on Champions Day in 2015. He has partnered 34 winners on the Flat since returning this year.


Read more:

BHA defends whip rule procedure in wake of Alphonse Le Grande Cesarewitch disqualification 

Richard Forristal: Jockeys are being hit by shambolic whip rules on a daily basis - how sad it took a high-profile DQ to concentrate minds 

'Lesser of two evils' - Alphonse Le Grande disqualified three days after Cesarewitch victory with jockey banned for 28 days


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