Professional Jockeys Association director Dale Gibson has claimed that Frankie Dettori's six-month ban is a "sad day for racing".

The Italian jockey was hit with the lengthy suspension, which will stand until May next year, by the French authorities after he failed a drugs test at Longchamp racecourse in September.

"It is a sad day for racing, a sad day for professional jockeys," Gibson told BBC Radio Five Live. "Frankie has made a mistake, he knows he has, but we are hoping with the support of the Professional Jockeys Association and the Injured Jockeys Fund we can get him back on track in May as good as ever.

"He is a sportsman who would not have wanted this to happen at any point of his career. He will want to get back to the highs he has achieved during his career in the saddle."

While it has not been revealed what banned substance Dettori was found guilty of taking, some reports have claimed that it was cocaine.