Grand National Festival winner disqualified after jockey whipped horse 11 times

Ed Griffiths
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:32:26 +0000

Patrick O'Brien has received a 28-day ban after the British Horseracing Authority's whip review committee ruled he exceeded the permitted limit by four strikes during the closing stages of Friday's Debenhams Handicap Hurdle at Aintree.

The decision means Laafi, the six-year-old Irish-trained horse who crossed the line first at odds of 20-1, has been stripped of victory in the race for conditional jockeys and amateur riders.

William Durkan's charge was disqualified after officials determined O'Brien used his whip 11 times from the second-last hurdle, with none deemed necessary for safety reasons.

The disqualification marks only the fifth time a winning horse has lost its race under the stricter whip regulations implemented in 2023.

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Since the rules were implemented, more than 30,000 victorious rides have taken place.

Melon, who finished behind Laafi, has now been promoted to first place, though jockey Toby McCain-Mitchell also faced sanction for his own whip use during the contest.

McCain-Mitchell was found to have struck his mount twice beyond the allowed threshold, and because this represented his fourth such suspension within a six-month period, he has been referred to the judicial panel for further disciplinary proceedings.

Jonjo O'Neill Jr accumulated a total of 14 days on the sidelines following two separate whip infringements during the festival.

His first breach occurred aboard Wellington Arch in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, where he struck once beyond the permitted level from the penultimate flight, resulting in a six-day suspension that was doubled owing to the race's class one status.

The jockey then committed a second offence while riding Iroko to second place in the Randox Grand National itself, again exceeding the limit by one use after turning for home.

This earned O'Neill Jr an additional eight-day ban running from May 9-16.

Darragh O'Keeffe also fell foul of the regulations on multiple occasions during the meeting, accruing a total of seven days' suspension.

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He received a three-day ban for improper whip placement while steering Koktail Divin to victory in the Manifesto Novices' Chase, followed by a four-day suspension for the identical offence on Hiddenvalley Lake, who finished fifth in the Liverpool Hurdle.

Harry Skelton completed the list of penalised riders after his winning ride on Mr Hope Street in the William Hill Handicap Chase.

Officials found he had used his whip down the shoulder in the forehand position while his hand was off the reins, earning a three-day suspension.