- Laafi, the winner of the Debenhams Handicap Hurdle at the Grand National Festival at Aintree last Friday, was disqualified on Tuesday after jockey Patrick O’Brien breached new whip regulations.
- O’Brien used his whip four times more than the permitted limit of seven after the second-last hurdle, resulting in a 28-day suspension.
- This marks the fifth horse to be disqualified under the British Horseracing Authority’s updated whip rules, which were introduced in 2023.
- Melon, ridden by Toby McCain-Mitchell, was promoted to first place in the Debenhams Handicap Hurdle, despite McCain-Mitchell also facing a referral for whip breaches.
- Several other jockeys, including Darragh O’Keeffe, Jonjo O’Neill Jr, and Harry Skelton, received suspensions for violating the new whip rules during the Grand National Festival.
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