British Horseracing Authority's review into the use of the whip is scheduled to come out in October - and I intend to make these my final thoughts on the matter until then.

One issue raised by Channel 4's ace caller Simon Holt this week is the effect that outlawing the whip at the end of a race would have on integrity.

A jockey's whip use is a sure barometer of how hard he or she is trying to win a race - take it away and what do you have? A dozen or so riders crouching low, and pushing and shoving - but nobody knows how hard.

The bottom end of our sport will become a haven for any gangster who wants to sign up some struggling riders for horses that aren't supposed to win.

There will be grubby stories about the laying of non-triers every day of the week - and British racing will be the dirtiest, rather than the best, in the world.

It suits those who want to take British racing out of step with every other major racing country on the planet - either by banning the whip or by disqualifying horses whose jockeys have broken the rules - to paint this as a debate between free thinkers and flat-earthers.

This, of course, is nonsense. Just because I oppose these barmy suggestions does not mean I'm in favour of putting small boys up chimneys.

It merely signifies that I'm in harmony with the bosses of racing in Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and the United States.

Also, don't be conned by those who try to draw parallels with others sports - that 'offside' means 'no goal' and that 'no ball' means 'no wicket'.

In football, players are not allowed a certain number of offside offences - any more than a bowler is given a quota of no balls.

However much the person peddling this argument waves his arms around, the comparison is utter guff.

The way to go is not to throw the baby out with the bath water, but to concentrate on education and punishments. Educate jockeys to ride like the best, and show whip-happy riders, through suspensions, that they must change.

And those, I hope, are my last words on the matter until the autumn.

You will be well aware by now that many things that go on in the BHA's Race Planning department are beyond my ken.

The latest is the number of jumps meetings to take place in Britain since Good Friday.

The National Hunt season ended with the mixed Bet365 Gold Cup card at Sandown on Saturday - with four other jumps cards, versus two on the Flat.

There were a further two meetings over the sticks on Sunday, followed by five (versus three Flat) on Bank Holiday Monday.

Two on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, but then three jumps cards on Thursday followed by another three yesterday.

Race Planning can't control the weather, and the lack of rain has decimated the fields - but do we REALLY need this many National Hunt fixtures?