Albert Bartlett Result: McCoy wins on At Fishers Cross

At Fishers Cross was providing the Champion Jockey with his first winner of the week, and he won in tremendous style, justifying strong market support as he stormed clear up the hill...

Tony McCoy, who is due to take the ride aboard Sir des Champs in the Gold Cup, registered a timely victory on At Fishers Cross in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle...

At Fishers Cross was providing the Champion Jockey with his first winner of the week, and he won in tremendous style, justifying strong market support as he stormed clear up the hill.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' progressive young hurdler African Gold held off Inish Island for second place, the front trio a long way clear of the pace-setting O'faolains Boy who faded back into fourth.

The form of the Rebecca Curtis-trained At Fishers Cross was looking strong following The New One's decisive victory earlier in the week, and, with rain turning the ground to his favour, punters latched on, sending him off a well-supported 2.43 shot.

Always travelling well, McCoy merely had to nudge his mount approaching the final flight to assert and win in ready fashion.

Look out for Brand new features with Timeform Race Passes - In-Play Hints, Running Notes & Warning Horses. Find out more at timeform.com.

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Racing News: McCoy hurt by Synch death

Jonjo O'Neill's nine-year-old was given a magnificent ride by the 16-time champion jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup...

Tony McCoy admits the death of Synchronised in last week's Grand National at Aintree has been hard to take for everyone connected with the horse...

Jonjo O'Neill's nine-year-old was given a magnificent ride by the 16-time champion jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, a race in which he recorded a Timeform rating of 167, and he was aiming to become the first winner of the blue riband to claim National glory in the same season since Golden Miller in 1934.

But after falling at Becher's Brook, the sixth fence in the world's most famous steeplechase, Synchronised proceeded to jump more obstacles riderless before suffering a broken leg.

"It is no understatement to say that he was one of our favourite horses, and that's not just because he won a Gold Cup," McCoy said in his Telegraph column.

"It has hit the whole team - from J P McManus (owner) and his family, who bred him, to Jonjo O'Neill and the team at Jackdaw's (Castle, O'Neill's yard) as well as me - very hard.

"The loss of any horse is painful, but it makes it all the more painful because he was such a great horse.

"Ironically, I had much heavier falls than he seemed to have and the last I saw of Synchronised was the horse getting up and galloping off into the distance, looking absolutely fine.

"What happened then is still unclear to all of us, but losing any horse remains the toughest, saddest part of the job of being a jockey."

The nine-year-old had been fairly prominent in the market for next year's Gold Cup, a race in which the 164p-rated Jewson Chase winner Sir Des Champs currently trades as (7.06/1) favourite.

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Follow The Money: More McCoy magic on Mauritino?

Follow the Money / Follow The Money / 18 April 2011 / Leave a Comment

Will we have luck with out Exeter bets today?

"Doctor Parkes has his favoured going today and although this looks a pretty open event he looks on a fair enough mark, and can go close today."

Today's Follow The Money three selections run at Exeter and Redcar.

We start at Exeter and in the 15:00 2m3f Handicap Hurdle we find today's drifter in the shape of Laustra Bad who has eased in the market out to [2.84] from an early [2.34]. He ended a long losing run last time out when winning well at this track over 2m1f. But a 10lb rise in the ratings is his reward for that victory - a mark with which he has struggled previously. He must also prove he is effective over this trip as he has never won beyond 2m1f. Jockey Conor O'Farrell takes off a useful 5lbs but that may not be enough and he is worth taking on today.

Next we go to Redcar and in the 6f Handicap at 16:20 where there has been decent support for the Eric Alston-trained Doctor Parkes who has shortened to [7.8] from [11.5]. A solid performer who has run well first time out previously, he is pretty versatile regarding trip having put up good efforts over 5f and 6f last season. Doctor Parkes has his favoured going today and although this looks a pretty open event he looks on a fair enough mark, and can go close today.

Finally we go back to Exeter and in the 17:00 there has been strong support for Mauritino who has strengthened his position at the top of the market shortening into [1.82] from [2.59]. Prior to his last run, we had not seen much from his five starts over the winter. But it seems that much of that can be put down to soft ground as he won on good going last time out. That was a conditionals event so he escapes a penalty and if reproducing that effort he should prove hard to beat.

Recommended Bets
Lay Laustra Bad @ [2.84] Exeter 15:00
Back Doctor Parkes @ [7.8] Redcar 16:20
Back Mauritino @ [1.82] Exeter 17:00

Today's Follow The Money movers come from the meetings at Leicester and Newbury....

Today's Follow The Money comes from Ayr and Newbury....

Today's Follow The Money movers come from Cheltenham and Beverley....

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Cheltenham Festival Specials: The outlook bleak for McCoy?

The Cheltenham Festival / Timeform / 01 March 2011 / Leave a Comment

AP McCoy: Binocular his only major chance of the week?

"All in all, it could easily be a bleak four days at Prestbury Park for Tony McCoy, with Binocular his only major chance, and he’s no good thing by any means."

Timeform's Martin Dixon previews what might be in store for AP McCoy at Cheltenham 2011...

Along with Quevega, Time For Rupert and Big Buck's, one of the hottest favourites at this year's Cheltenham Festival is Ruby Walsh to yet again retain the Thomas Pink leading jockey award, trading currently at [2.56] to back. It's perhaps surprising that AP McCoy isn't next in line, with Barry Geraghty at [3.7], whilst 'the Champ' trades at a somewhat derogatory [9.2]. Derogatory, that is, as to his talents, but how many 'chances' does McCoy actually have in 2011? I'm left to delve.

I'm sure some of the stats boffins amongst us have this all sewn up; only twice since 1999 has McCoy ridden 2 or more winners at the Festival. Surely then, 0-1 winners is an odds-on chance. Steam in at [2.5]!

Of course, that's the simple approach. In reality, the stats of previous years are irrelevant, with McCoy all set for an entirely different book of rides, and the only way to forecast is to consider just what that book of rides is likely to consist of. Here goes...

We'll deal with the obvious first, with Binocular in the Champion Hurdle. It's a fiercely competitive renewal, almost certainly deeper than in 2010, but he was a decisive winner a year ago and has had a better preparation this time around. He's McCoy's big chance of the week. The worrying point for AP, though, is that beyond that his chances are much less obvious.

Day 1 will be crucial, not only does he ride Binocular but Starluck has now been confirmed for the Arkle, whilst Quantativeeasing is ante-post favourite for the closing Centenary Novices' Chase.

Starluck got off to an encouraging start over fences at Huntingdon last week and, with J.P. McManus not having an obvious Arkle contender, McCoy is set to retain the ride. Admittedly, it wasn't a strong race at Huntingdon, but his very smart hurdles form dictates that he's open to significant improvement and McCoy is the perfect partner for a horse with limited chasing experience.

If the chance of one horse sums up the whole week for AP, then it's probably Quantitiveeasing. Talk of him as an ante-post favourite may be misleading, as the newly-formed Centenary Novices' Chase is a very difficult race to get a handle on. He's a promising young chaser, no doubt, but so are many of those that he's likely to be up against.

Alongside Binocular, Albertas Run completed a Festival double for the Champion Jockey with success in last year's Ryanair, but he has a lot to prove after a poor run in the King George, whilst Captain Cee Bee's chances look remote in the Champion Chase.

As ever, there are likely to be some J.P. McManus-owned handicap plots for McCoy, with Sunnyhillboy one that stands out, but to cling your Festival winners' hopes on them is dangerous and, often, unfruitful.

All in all, it could easily be a bleak four days at Prestbury Park for Tony McCoy, with Binocular his only major chance, and he's no good thing by any means.

Those stats weren't so irrelevant after all, were they?

With only two weeks to the day before the cream of the hurdling crop navigate their way around Prestbury Park, before rising to the top of that famous hill, the shape of the race is now clearly defined, and it's multidimensional according to Timeform's Adam Brookes....

Timeform's Martin Dixon previews what might be in store for AP McCoy at Cheltenham 2011......

Whilst you may not be able to see past Binocular winning his second Champion Hurdle, or superstar stayer Big Buck's dominating once again in the World Hurdle, you may have also decided that the current odds on offer are too skinny for you to get involved. Well, help is on hand in the shape of the Betfair Cheltenham Specials markets....

Betfair website