Racing: McCoy banned after Picasso's victory

TONY McCOY was banned for four days for using his whip with excessive force on Picasso's Heritage at Bangor yesterday. The champion jump jockey, whose mount had won the novices' claiming hurdle by three-quarters of a length, will be sidelined on 8, 9, 10 and 14 August.

McCoy's colleague on the Flat, Jimmy Fortune, has yet to reach a final decision as to whether to appeal against an 11-day suspension he received for irresponsible riding of a major nature at Goodwood on Thursday.

Fortune, however, believes it is unlikely he will contest the ban. The suspension included six days for the offence and another five triggered from a deferred suspension at Jockey Club headquarters on Wednesday - where he also got 13 days - for his riding of Markan in the William Hill Mile.

Fortune said: "Even if I did appeal, the only thing I would get off is two days but they could also see a different view and put a few days on.'' Fortune is set to sit-out today until 25 August, an absence which stops him riding at York's Ebor meeting.