WILLIAMSON BAN: Norman Williamson has decided not to appeal over the four-day suspension he picked up at Cheltenham on Friday - and will miss the big Christmas fixtures at Kempton, Chepstow and Leopardstown.
The stewards decided that Williamson had been guilty of using his whip with excessive force on Mr Markham in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle after the vet reported that the gelding had been "marked".
Williamson will be sidelined from December 26th-29th.
CHELTENHAM: Cheltenham is to increase the prize money for the Unicoin New Homes Handicap Chase on New Year's Day to £50,000, following the abandonment of the Tripleprint Gold Cup on Saturday.
The Tripleprint is one of the highlights of the jumping season, carrying £100,000 prize money and there had been complaints that the race would not be re-scheduled, with the same money on offer, elsewhere.
