“IF you don’t like racing go and watch Peppa Pig.” That was the comment from Ted Walsh on Thursday when asked on RacingTV by Lydia Hislop to comment on the 37-day bans given to three amateur riders after a gruelling four-mile National Hunt Chase, run on the worst ground of the week at Cheltenham.

The riders were banned on the grounds that they had “continued in the race when it appeared to be contrary to the horse’s welfare.”