Jockey Kielan Woods has been handed a 45-day ban, nine days of which are suspended, for multiple whip offences following a hearing at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Friday.
The Cheltenham Festival-winning rider was referred to the independent disciplinary panel after he was found to have breached the whip rules for a fourth time in a six-month period.
Woods was given a 42-day suspension – nine of which were deferred – back in June and is now facing a further lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Woods will now serve 36 days from January 20 to February 24, with the rider planning to work on his whip issues during that time.
He has vowed to address the “mental block” around the whip rules after incurring another hefty suspension.
In a statement issued through the Professional Jockeys Association, he said: “By the time I reach the end of this suspension I’ll have missed around a third of the last year through suspension and I’ve got no one to blame but myself.
“I’m going spend this time off getting to the bottom of why I seem to have a mental block when it comes to this issue and making sure whatever the issue is, I get it fixed.”
Source : Sky Sports
