Kieren Fallon's hopes of retaining the jockeys' title took a knock when he was given a 13-day ban by the Jockey Club on Thursday.

The suspension is a boost to his nearest challengers for the jockeys' title, Richard Hughes and Seb Sanders.

Before racing on Thursday, Fallon was 13 winners ahead of Hughes and 19 ahead of Sanders.

However, Hughes also picked up a five-day ban last week.

At Thursday's hearing, Fallon was also handed a four-day "suspended" ban, which will be activated if he commits another riding offence in the next three months.

The Irishman's punishment is a result of a totting-up rule whereby a rider is banned if he exceeds a certain number of days of suspension within a 12-month period.

A ban the Irishman picked up at Newmarket last month took him to 16 days' in the past 12 months and brought about Thursday's hearing at the Jockey Club.

Among the races Fallon will miss are the Rothmans Royals St Leger and the Ayr Gold Cup.

He will return to the saddle at Ascot on 27 September.

Michael Caulfield, head of the Jockeys' Association, who accompanied Fallon to the hearing, said that changes to the totting-up system were needed.

"You haven't got to be a genius to work out that if you are a top jockey, who is riding in 600-1,000 races a year, you are going to make a couple of mistakes during that time," he said.

"You have a bad month, a bad week and it's all over.

"I can understand all forms of regulation, I know why it is in place but the totting-up system offers no encouragement for jockeys.

"Kieren has had six minor bans this year, all of two or three days, and now he has this as well. I'm not sure what purpose it serves."