Victoria's chief steward Terry Bailey has warned jockeys who breach whip rules in the Caulfield Cup they cannot expect to be riding in the Cox Plate.
Bailey revealed RV stewards have consciously slapped down more suspensions in the last few months for whip breaches, rather than solely enforcing monetary penalties.
Jockeys are limited to using the whip five times before the 100m mark.
Bailey told Racenet any jockey in the Caulfield Cup who flagrantly abused whip rules could not expect to be riding in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley the following Saturday.
"If a rider wants to breach the whip rule in the Caulfield Cup, they just want to have in the back of their mind whether they want to be there on Cox Plate day or not," Bailey said.
"Certainly in the last couple of months we have stepped up suspensions for whip breaches, we believe that is more of a deterrent (than a fine) for riders who breach the rules.
"If they get it wrong by a couple we do take into account the totality of the whip use inside the last 100m.
"But once they are getting up into that nine or 10 strikes area they are being suspended. There have been quite a few riders suspended for that in recent times."
As recently as last Saturday, apprentice Ben Allen was suspended for six meetings for whipping Group II Herbert Power Stakes winner Lord Fandango five times more than permitted before the last 100m of the race.
Allen is available to ride Lord Fandango in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday, but any whip suspensions coming out of the Caulfield Cup are likely to be stiffer given it is a Group I, $3 million race.
Bailey said jockeys were always entitled to look at the film for potential whip protests but conceded it would take an enormous whip rule breach for stewards to consider upholding a whip protest.
Queensland came under the national spotlight for upholding a whip protest last year when Stonecast was awarded a race after dead-heating with Rosella at the Sunshine Coast.
But seeing a whip protest upheld during the spring carnival appears unlikely.
"I would have to say it would have to be a fairly gross breach of the rule before we would consider amending placings," Bailey said.
"But if we are faced with it we will look at it.
"Jockeys have the right to look at the film if they feel aggrieved and they are entitled to lodge a (whip) objection.
"But the big question is how you equate the nature of the breach to the winning margin – and does it (excessive whip use) make the horse go faster?"
