Racing: Champion jockey Jamie Spencer will miss next week's King George meeting at Ascot and Glorious Goodwood after being hit with a lengthy ban under the totting-up procedure.
The Tipperary man has been served with a 16-day suspension - three of which have been deferred - after being found guilty of careless riding by the disciplinary panel of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority.
He is banned from July 28th to August 11th inclusive with the three other days deferred until October.
The panel inquired as to whether Spencer committed a breach of Rule 153 on Garafena, runner-up in the Kleinwort Benson Maiden Stakes at Newmarket last Wednesday.
The matter was referred to the HRA following an adjourned inquiry at Newmarket on Thursday because Spencer had been suspended from riding for 20 days for interference within the previous 12 months.
He was handed an automatic 14-day ban plus an extra two days for the Garafena offence.
Spencer's ban is a major blow to his hopes of defending his champion jockey title, in which he currently trails Ryan Moore.