THESE latest changes to the whip rules are just another example of the BHA trying to please everyone but pleasing no-one.

And I say this on the back of the fixture list and field-size problems, and their inability and unwillingness to even chop 300 races from next year’s calendar.

What are they waiting for?

The BHA are our governing body but they are led by the nose at every turn by others, it seems, and they need to show leadership and be stronger in their decision-making.

I am sure they will argue that is what they have done with the whip here, but they have left too many grey areas.

And I say this as someone who has not had a whip ban since Sprinter Sacre won the Celebration Chase back in 2016.

We all know that 12 strikes are unacceptable these days, so why give jockeys the scope to go beyond eight?

And if a jockey does hit the magic number of 12 in a race, thus triggering the disqualification threshold, the stewards have the option of going back, studying the video and then deciding whether to discount some on corrective and safety grounds.

Grey areas.

But this is not just about the jockeys. The trainers have a big role to play here, too.

The trainers have to educate young jockeys – and some of the older brigade too I guess! – into what is and isn’t acceptable on their horses. And, central to that, is the direction they relay about whip use.

So if there is a positive in all this is that it will hopefully promote better riding.

We will all quickly adapt to using the whip in the backhand position, and that actually may have the benefit of promoting more accomplished horsemanship. More contact with the reins, and less interference, will hopefully be two positive by-products.

But I come back to my main and wider point, and that is the BHA have to step up to the plate and govern, and not be led.

As for the specific whip rules, hopefully we can work through the grey areas before the autumn.

I am not riding at Market Rasen on the Unibet-sponsored card on Saturday – I am at Cartmel – but I’d like to be on board Franky Du Berlais in the Unibet Summer Plate. He won the race easily last season and I reckon Peter Bowen will have him primed for this once again.

I am going out to ride Pistol Whipped in Saratoga on Wednesday, and we may do a piece on that next week.