Apprentice jockey Iqbal Khan was suspended for 10 days by the Killarney stewards on Wednesday for using his whip with excessive frequency and without giving his mount time to respond on his first ride in public.
Khan finished second aboard Lucky Queen for trainer Pat Murphy in the first division of the mile handicap and the ride was widely shared on social media shortly afterwards.
In the final furlong alone, the rider struck Lucky Queen 13 times, including a couple of double strikes.
This caught the attention of the stewards, who dished out a 10-day ban, which prompted an apology from Khan.
The IHRB report said, “Evidence was heard from the rider concerned, who accepted he was in breach and apologised for his actions.
“Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence, the stewards were of the opinion that the rider was in breach of R.10.3(g) (frequency) and R.10.3(i) (time to respond) and considering his record in this regard they suspended him for ten days.”
I'm sorry to single out a jockey on their first ride seemingly but this is disgusting from Iqbal Khan. In what way is that acceptable, 13 whips inside 2 furlongs? All whilst not even pushing the horse. Unacceptable and deserves a long ban. Racing needs to eradicate this. pic.twitter.com/ipodwMmhec
— Eliot Bishop (@ETB89) July 19, 2023
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
