Vincent Ho’s 18 days’ worth of suspensions handed out by the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) Whip Review Committee will not cost him his place at the World All-Star Jockeys (WASJ) series in Sapporo on August 24 and 25.
The BHA rules allow a rider to shift the dates of suspension, and Ho has done just that. The Hong Kong jockey was handed three separate suspensions of seven days, four days, and seven days for exceeding the maximum allowable six hits with the whip during races at Pontefract and Goodwood: the dates of those suspensions were given initially as August 6-12, August 16-19, and August 20-26 inclusive.
But Ho has moved some of his dates back, so the second suspension will run from August 13-16 and the third suspension from August 17-23 inclusive, enabling him to participate in the JRA (Japan Racing Association)’s jockeys’ series.
“I can move the date so I’m ok to ride in the World All-Star Jockeys,” Ho told Idol Horse by phone from Chantilly. “My suspensions now end on the 23rd so that means I am clear to ride in Sapporo.”
Ho will spend a few more days in France attending the Paris Olympics, and will then return to England, to Charlie Johnston’s stables in Middleham, for a few days before flying to Japan.
“It would be a lot easier if we had the same rules everywhere, but then also sometimes it’s good to experience different ways of doing things. In Britain it’s six hits, in Germany it’s three and in France it’s four, but in Hong Kong there is no limit: if the horse is responding you use the whip, and if it’s not responding, you stop. So, it takes some time to adapt to the rules when you go to a new place.”
Ho last rode at Dusseldorf on August 4, when third in the German Oaks, and he witnessed anti-racing protestors outside the racecourse gates there.
“We have people trying to stop racing in Europe, so we have to be very careful about how people see the sport,” he said.
“With the last suspension, when I hit the horse two times more than I should, it was because the horse was trying to duck in behind horses and when they do that I just react naturally, as a correction thing, but of course you have to respect the stewards and the rules here.
“The other suspension at Goodwood, I was fighting for the win, I was beaten by a head and I hit the horse eight times instead of six. I counted five but then I was going for the win and I wasn’t counting anymore. These things take time to adapt. I just have to be more careful next year.”
Ho will spend his final days of his European summer riding out at the Johnston stables but he will also take the opportunity to see how the operation ticks before heading to Japan.
“I’ll spend the time learning about how they train the horses and look a bit deeper into it, so the suspension’s not all a bad thing,” he added.
