Last year’s Grand National winning rider was suspended for eight days but the punishment will not apply on Grand National day because of his amateur status
Patrick Mullins: free to ride Nick Rockett in the Grand National despite whip ban(Image: Michael Steele, Getty Images)
Patrick Mullins will be free to ride in the Grand National despite receiving an eight day whip ban on Tuesday – thanks to his amateur status.
Last year’s winning rider breached the rules by going one over the permitted level of seven whip strokes when finishing second in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival last week.
The punishment was doubled due to the importance of the race, but the suspension dates, which run from April 7 to 22, do not include Grand National day (April 11) because bans for amateurs only apply when amateur only races are scheduled.
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As a result Mullins will miss the Foxhunters Chase on the first day of the Grand National fixture but will be clear to ride on the other two days including Saturday when Nick Rockett, on whom Mullins was victorious last year, is set to take his chance.
Nick Rockett was eased to 16-1 from 14-1 for the race by William Hill after he finished third of four on his first appearance for 346 days on Tuesday.
He only needed to get round in one piece at Down Royal to meet eligibility requirements for the National, having not run since last year’s big race triumph, yet was far from convincing in a race won comfortably by another Grand National entry Gerri Colombe.
Patrick Mullins (right): both he and Shane Cotter (left) received whip bans after finishing first and second at Cheltenham (Image: RACINGFOTOS.COM)
Winning trainer Gordon Elliott said: “He’s in the National and we have the choice of the Bowl as well, so we’ll have a chat with Brian and Rob (Acheson) and the whole team (Robcour), and see what we think.”
Mullins wasn’t the only big name to receive whip bans from Tuesday’s meeting of the BHA’s Whip Review Committee.
JJ Slevin and Gavin Sheehan were both suspended for 14 days and also fined for breaching the whip limit on Stayers’ Hurdle winner Home By The Lee and Albert Bartlett winner Johnny’s Jury respectively. Both can apply to move the start dates which would only rule them out of the first day at Aintree.
Amateur Shane Cotter, who rode Kim Muir winner Ask Brewster, was also banned for eight days, and Sean Flanagan received eight days after finishing second in the Albert Bartlett.