Jockey Club cracks down on Williamson

A 10-day whip ban imposed on Norman Williamson yesterday will force the jockey to miss the first day of the Grand National meeting. He fell foul of the whip guidelines on Direct Route, beaten a short-head by Edredon Bleu in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last week.

Williamson appeared to hit his mount across the ribs on the run-in and his riding was referred by the local stewards to the Jockey Club, whose disciplinary committee has ruled that Williamson "struck Direct Route on numerous occasions in places other than the horse's hind quarters".

In a separate hearing, Paul Flynn, the season's leading amateur, currently sidelined through injury, was also given a 10-day ban, for using his whip with excessive frequency on Phardante Flyer, fourth in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Festival.

* Bomb Alaska, a long-time fancy for Saturday's Lincoln Handicap, is likely to run in tomorrow's Doncaster Mile instead. Toby Balding's horse had been due to carry top weight in the Lincoln but would have to concede only 3lb or 8lb to rivals in the Listed contest.