Lorcan Williams has been banned for 18 days due to overuse of the whip at Haydock on Saturday in race 6 on the card.

This comes after Saturday’s Grade 2 Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock, where his mount Makin’yourmindup narrowly edged out Collectors Item.

The whip review committee published their findings after review today.

Williams’ penalty in relation to the permitted level was doubled and his suspension starts on Tuesday 7th March.

The Committee orders that one of these days will be spent at the British Racing School for training. Williams was also fined ÂŁ1,050.

Brant Dunshea, the chief regulatory office states that Williams had already been warned about his riding prior to his suspension.

He said in comments published by the BHA today: “Lorcan was advised on numerous occasions throughout the bedding in period of rides that would amount to a breach of the new Rules should he continued to ride in the same manner.

“The Review Committee have included a mandatory session with the British Racing School as part of his penalty. This is part of the purpose of the Committee, to bring about improvements in riding standards.”

Lorcan Williams’ ban will start from March 7th meaning he will miss the Cheltenham Festival.

The Paul Nicholls retained jockey shared his disappointment after the ban.

He told the Racing Post “I’m absolutely gutted, but it is what it is and I’ll take it on the chin. Hopefully I’ll learn from it but it has been a hard transition for us all.

“It’s a tough one to take and it’s hard to keep those emotions away when I was in that tight of a finish at Haydock, especially with these new rules we’re having to adapt to.”

Brant Dunshea also believes that jockeys should now take responsibility for their riding after the bedding-in process.

He said “Jockeys have had more than four weeks to adapt to the new rules through the bedding-in period. As the jockeys themselves have stated, it is now up to them to ensure that they ride within the new rules.”

Find all findings published by the whip review committee here.

(Featured image courtesy of Alamy Images, under agreed licence)

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