TONY McCOY will be sidelined for 10 days after a horrific tumble in the last race at Uttoxeter yesterday.

Riding Strong Tel for Martin Pipe, McCoy took a heavy fall when his mount ducked out and crashed through the wing of the first flight in the SQ Magazine Novices' Hurdle, taking Charley Lambett, the mount of Eugene Husband with him.

Husband was quickly on his feet, but McCoy was knocked unconscious and was still prostrate on the ground when the runners came around again on the second circuit and were waved around the hurdle.

McCoy was eventually helped to his feet and into an ambulance, which took him back to the weighing room, where he was pretty shaken but otherwise unhurt.

Dr Andy Toman, the course doctor, who attended McCoy, signed him off for a mandatory 10 days because he had been knocked unconscious for up to three minutes.

The fall comes close on the heels of last week's extraordinary events which saw McCoy clinch major honours at the Cheltenham Festival.

The champion jockey, won the Champion Hurdle on Make A Stand, the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Mr Mulligan and the Arkle Trophy on Or Royal.

McCoy has ridden 143 winners this season and is well clear in the championship table.

Simon Yim, who has spent the last two summers riding for Mark Tompkins at Newmarket was one of five jockeys who was yesterday suspended indefinitely by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club in the wake of its present corruption scandal.

Yim was one of 18 people arrested when officials investigating race fixing and illegal bookmaking swooped during Sunday's meeting at Sha Tin. Besides Yim one other fully-fledged jockey, three apprentices and two trainers have also had their licences removed.

Three members of the Jockey Club itself, all involved in the telecasting of Hong Kong racing, have also been suspended.