McCoy advises Lingo caution
Tony McCoy believes Lingo “has to improve a lot” if he is to make a Smurfit Champion Hurdle horse.
The Jonjo O’Neill-trained gelding shot to prominence in the betting for the hurdlers’ crown with an impressive victory at Cheltenham on Sunday, on what was his first start for 680 days.
Lingo came clear under the champion jockey to beat Tramantano in good style by three and a half lengths in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle on only his fourth outing over jumps.
Afterwards he was cut to as short as 9-1 for the Champion Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March.
“He has got to improve a lot,” McCoy told At The Races.
“I’d love him to be a Champion Hurdle horse and I really hope that he is but he was rated 140 yesterday and Champion Hurdle horses are rated 165-170.”
On Sunday’s win, McCoy added: “I was very pleased with him. He travelled and he jumped well. We’ve done a lot of schooling with him but he was as fit as a fiddle and he knew his job even though he had been off for a long time.
“He hasn’t a lot of experience but we are very lucky at Jackdaws Castle that we’ve got great facilities. He’s jumped a lot of hurdles and done a lot of work.”
