Jockey Kieran O'Neill Given 15 Day Ban For Fifth Whip Breach

Jockey Whip Ban

Kieran O'Neill has been given a 15 day ban after he was found to be over using the whip for the fifth time in just six months and with the on going debate in the sport about the whip, it is exactly the image horse-racing wants to get away from.

O'Neill was given a 2 day ban from a BHA independent disciplinary panel that heard the jockey use the whip 10 times which is three over the legal limit, when finishing a neck second to Timoshenko at Glorious Goodwood on July 31st.

Normally the ban that should be handed out for offences like this is between 14 an 42 days, with the expected actual suspension in the region of 21 days but the rider was only branded with two days.

Stretching back to March 12th was the first time O'Neill was given a whip ban for the season when he has been given 328 rides and picked up three more suspensions, all of them coming on winning rides.

The rider has had a resurgent career of late, landing 69 winners last year and he has already secured 54 this season with John Gosden having a huge part to play in the jockey coming back to his best in the sport.

Back in 2011-12 season, when working under Richard Hannon, he rode out his claim in just two years but after that saw a huge lull in his performances and chances on some of the better rides he would have been expected to be given.

Now facing another battle of trying not to get a sixth whip ban of the season, the jockey will be given another five days to his ban that have been set aside if he does break the rules from now and October 8th.

The jockey will be off the track from August 16th-23rd and also another two days from August 26th-27th.