Connections of Orthodox Lad have leapt to the defence of jockey Kieren Fox after he was suspended for 15 days under the new whip rules at Salisbury on Monday.
Fox, who claims 3lb, was adjudged to have hit Orthodox Lad 11 times - seven times in the final furlong - when winning the Bathwick Tyres Salisbury Handicap by a short head. He lost his percentage of the prize-money and also forfeited his riding fee.
"We love our horses and don't want to hurt them in any way. Kieren gets on well with the horse and we know he is an out-and-out galloper. He doesn't have many gears and needs a bit of help," said Steve Nunn, spokesman for Orthodox Lad's owners, SN Racing II.
"I spoke to the guys after the race and they said he (Orthodox Lad) was bouncing. I feel for Kieren. He is not an aggressive rider. He would accept he would get banned, but this is too harsh.
"What it comes to is that there is a chance the horse might not have won, and that affects little men like me. I thought it was a great ride. That horse now has one win under our belt. From a breeding point of view, that makes a big difference to us," Nunn, who also bred Orthodox Lad, told At The Races.
Richard Hughes received a five-day suspension in the same race as Fox when Swift Blade finished third, having been found guilty of hitting his mount six times inside the last furlong.
He said: "I am embarrassed by what I did, but I hit my horse for a correction matter, not for a slap to go faster. I corrected my horse when I made contact.
"We've been trying to get used to it, but if you're in a tight finish over a mile and a half and someone gives their horse seven (hits) and you give them two or three, they will have an advantage. It proved it with the guy (Fox) hitting it 11. If someone breaks the rules they have an advantage on you."
Hughes also hit out at the British Horseracing Authority's decision to impose the new sanctions in the build-up to Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday.
Speaking at Leicester, Hughes told At The Races: "I think the timing is deplorable. Frankie (Dettori) has been on national TV about the Qipco day but instead he's talking about the whip. They've planned it to be the biggest raceday of all time and instead they are talking about the whip. It's a shame."
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