Diego Lima received a two-day ban for striking Ranting Duke in the York stalls and faces a review of his overall usage by a BHA committee
Diego Lima (circled) riding Ranting Duke in the Sky Bet ebfstallions.com Novice Stakes(Image: Racing TV)
A jockey has been banned for two days for striking his horse on the head with his whip in the stalls – and faces disqualification for overusing it in the race.
Several pundits have heavily criticised the actions of Diego Lima, who finished second on Ranting Duke in the first contest at York. The 50-1 outsider was quick away from the start and was up there throughout the six furlongs of the Sky Bet ebfstallions.com Novice Stakes.
But Ranting Duke is expected to lose that position, with Lima facing another ban for using his whip too many times, when the BHA’s special committee look at such offences next Tuesday.
“It is completely unacceptable,” said Racing TV’s Tom Stanley, as footage of the incident and race was repeated for viewers.
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“I have lost count of how many times he has hit the horse. He is going to get thrown out.”
Ex-jockey and pundit Martin Dwyer said: “He is loaded into the stalls, the horse is perfectly stood still and he just hits him over the head with the thick end of his whip.
“The first time he does it the horse looked confused and shook his head, the second time the stalls open and he’s very quick into stride. it’s a bizarre thing to do.”
Ranting Duke, a horse trained in Ireland by Diego Dias, finished a length behind the winner Persian Spring (7-2jf). The channel’s presenter at York Lydia Hislop suggested that horses should be disqualified on the day in such cases.
“Well done to the stewards for picking that up,” she added. “The whip review committee will be having a good look at that on Tuesday. I counted 13 (strikes) like Martin (Howard, colleague on-course).”
The BHA stewards report read: “D. D. Lima, the rider of Ranting Duke, placed second, had appeared to use his whip in an inappropriate and unacceptable way in the stalls. After being interviewed and shown recordings of the incident Lima was suspended for two days for improper riding.”
BHA rules state that the whip can be used a maximum of six times in a Flat race and four or more strikes above that level leads to disqualification for horse and rider.