Will Kennedy was left wondering whether it was all worth it after his last-gasp victory on Swincombe Flame in the William Hill Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton turned sour when he received a seven-day whip ban and lost his prizemoney for breaking the whip rules.

The 30-year-old jockey, who lives at Stanford in the Vale, galvanised Nick Williams’s six-year-old past Featherbed Lane to get up in the last stride and win by a nose.

The Irishman, who won the same race for Williams on James De Vassy last year, was aware he had transgressed the rules, but said in the winner’s enclosure: “I’m not really one for hitting them, but I missed the last and what do I tell the owners?

“I either hit her two more times and win by a nostril or I don’t and I get beaten. Who can say I would have won without those two hits? It’s disappointing.”

However, on learning the punishment, which runs from January 28-February 3, Kennedy added: “The last slap before the line went short (in the wrong place) and I’ve got seven days.

“It’s black and white, so there’s probably nothing to appeal against, but I’ll get someone to look at it.

“You work your backside off and lose two and a half grand.

“You sometimes wonder why you bother.”