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 yesterday afternoon.
The Cork 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 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th.
Two of the major events Williamson will miss are the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's 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.
"We coasted up the straight and the horse came home as happy as Larry. I told the owner and trainer to put blinkers on him.
"Barring Cheltenham Festival week it's the biggest time of the season, it includes the King George and a lot at Leopardstown." Williamson said that he intends to view a video of the race with Michael Caulfield, chairman of the Jockeys' Association, before considering whether to make an appeal.
Cold weather threatens to wreak havoc on today's fixture list with all four scheduled National Hunt in some danger from frost.
Cheltenham, whose meeting features the Tripleprint Gold Cup, Haydock Park, Doncaster, and Lingfield Park will all stage inspections this morning.
Overnight temperatures may fall to as low as -5C at Cheltenham which could cause problems for the showpiece card, which is due to start at 12.10.
Officials will inspect the track at 7.00 a.m. and clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: "The meeting could all hinge upon how long the cold spell will last for.
"It was -4C here on Tuesday night for half an hour but there would have been no problems if we needed to race on Wednesday.
"The forecast is for it not to rise above 3C tomorrow but forecasts here are often wrong and I'm always optimistic."
