Whip rules: Cesarewitch winner Alphonse Le Grande disqualified

The winner of a major race has been disqualified because his rider used his whip too many times.

Apprentice jockey Jamie Powell used his whip on 10 occasions as he rode to victory on Alphonse Le Grande in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.

It is the third disqualification, and the most high profile, from 16,000 races since new whip rules were brought in last year.

The threshold for use of the whip was reduced by one to seven in jumps races and six in flat races, with 10 triggering a disqualification.

The incident was referred to the Whip Review Committee (WRC), which disqualified Alphonse Le Grande and suspended Powell for 28 days, with original runner-up Manxman awarded the race.

A British Horseracing Authority spokesperson said such disqualifications were brought in to deter “flagrant misuse of the whip” to “safeguard the fairness” of race results.

Last November, Alex Edwards became the first winner to be disqualified in nearly 8,000 races since the rules were introduced, while Poppy Wynne lost her victory on Swift Tuttle in July.

“It sends a clear message that we do not tolerate misuse of the whip. There is simply no excuse for using the whip four times or more above the permitted level,” the BHA spokesperson added.

“It is encouraging that there have been so few instances of this being the case since the rule was introduced, with this being only the third time a winner has been disqualified for egregious overuse of the whip.

“The Whip Review Committee (WRC) was introduced to ensure consistency of decision-making around whip decisions. It is critical that decisions of such importance as potential disqualification are handled in a consistent manner via this process.”