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Johnson fears new whip rules will 'take centre stage' and overshadow Cheltenham Festival

Richard Johnson: "I hope the whip doesn't take centre stage"
Richard Johnson: "The timing surprised me a bit but I know there's no perfect time"Credit: Getty Images

Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson, the two most successful jumps jockeys in British history, fear the new whip rules due to come into effect on February 13 will overshadow the Cheltenham Festival.

The widely criticised new rules, which prohibit the use of the whip above shoulder height, are set to come into force on Monday just one month before the Cheltenham Festival.

And the two legendary riders, who between them won every British jockeys' championship for 24 years, are worried jockeys may struggle to cope with the new rules in the heat of the moment, while McCoy went even further and suggested if they are to be taken seriously winning riders who transgress should be disqualified.

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