Norman Williamson is set to miss some potentially big paydays over the Christmas holiday period after the Cheltenham stewards handed him a four-day whip ban this afternoon.
The jockey was found to have used his stick with excessive force aboard Josh Gifford's unplaced Mr Markham in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle and was stood down for December 26, 27, 28 and 29.
Two of the major events Williamson will miss are the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, and the Coral Eurobet Welsh National at Chepstow the following day.
"With a circuit to go I wasn't travelling down by the water jump which is a mile from home and he wasn't going anywhere," Williamson explained to Channel 4. "I gave him a few smacks and that was it. I stood up after that.
"The horse is marked but we now have a new sheet of horses that mark so you can use a softer stick and you obviously don't hit them, you are always risking the chance of being done if you hit a horse, and this horse is not on that list. - PA