TONY McCOY was handed a three-day whip ban at Newton Abbot yesterday which rules him out of Newbury's two-day Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup meeting later this month.

The season's leading rider was found guilty of using his stick with unreasonable force aboard James The First, short head runner-up behind Well Timed in the Faucets A and J Gummers Handicap Chase.

After viewing the video of the race, the stewards decided to suspend McCoy on November 28th, 29th and 30th.

Jimmy Frost on Well Timed was also quizzed about his use of the stick but no action was taken against him.

McCoy, who now needs only three winners to crack Peter Scudamore's record of the fastest century, was understandably upset about the outcome. McCoy had been in double form for the afternoon booting home Lake Kariba and the Martin Pipe-trained Iranos which put him on the 97-winner mark for the term.

Trainer Philip Hobbs also notched a double following victories for Orswell Lad in the South West Racing Club Novices' Handicap Chase and Sparkling Yasmin in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, the pair both gaining short head verdicts.