Remarkable scenes unfolded in Selangor over the weekend when Brazilian jockey Edson Ferreira was forced to get creative after losing his whip.
In race 9 of Saturday’s 10-race card, a Class 4-b event staged over 1250m, Ferreira was aboard the S. Vivan-trained Apis. After making heavy contact with the runner drawn outside of him as the gates crashed back, he lost his whip.
Ferreira took the lead shortly after and looked to have plenty of horse beneath him in the home straight. It was then, as stated in the stewards’ report, “he had removed his cloth cap and used it on four occasions in a waving manner in an endeavour to encourage the horse to perform.However, his encouragement appeared to be in vain as Apis was collared in the shadows of the post and was defeated by Attention by a half-length
Ferreira also mentioned, ‘that this (practice) was not uncommon in his home country of Brazil.’ However, one does wonder if a strong hands-and-heels ride would have sufficed.
Further to the stewards’ report, it read: Whilst accepting his explanation, the Stewards did not apply a fine related to the drop whip given that he had struck the barrier on exiting, however, warned Jockey E Ferreira that he is not permitted, in future, to use any part of his apparel and use it in a manner to goad this horse given that notwithstanding other issues, the waving of an item such as a cloth cap may distract or frighten other runners.
