1. Home
  2. /

    News
  3. /

    Ryan Mania granted permission to compete in Aintree after a successful appeal reduced the two-week whip ban to one week
Ryan Mania granted permission to compete in Aintree after a successful appeal reduced the two-week whip ban to one week
Ryan Mania. Source: racingpost.com

Ryan Mania granted permission to compete in Aintree after a successful appeal reduced the two-week whip ban to one week

Ryan Mania's appeal against a 14-day whip ban has been partially successful, allowing him to participate in Aintree's Grand National meeting. The suspension has been reduced to seven days. The whip review committee initially suspended Mania for two weeks due to his use of the whip without allowing the horse time to respond on three occasions and using it above the permitted level of seven strikes. However, the independent disciplinary panel cleared him of the second offence, as they considered one of the four strikes to be for safety reasons.

Initially banned from Tuesday to 15th April, Mania's revised suspension now extends from Saturday to Friday. He is scheduled to ride his regular mount, Empire Steel, in the Randox Grand National and Topham the following week. During the hearing, Mania explained that the horse he rode, Rob Roy Macgregor, had a severe tendency to drift to the right, causing him considerable difficulty in keeping the horse straight. He argued that his use of the whip was solely for safety purposes. Mania's representative presented footage showing the horse drifting markedly from the inside panel to the outside panel of the final hurdle, while Mania took no action as he believed there was no danger.

The representative argued that Mania's reaction to the warning from a fellow rider at the second hurdle was justified. On the other hand, the representative of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) claimed that Mania had exaggerated the warning and that the whip usage did not warrant a safety exemption. The BHA representative also argued that Mania's account was inconsistent with the video evidence presented.

Share

Get the latest news to your inbox.

Subscribe to the newsletter

We value your privacy and promise not to distribute your email to third parties.