McCoy shines with Folkestone hat-trick
Tony McCoy lit up a cold afternoon at Folkestone and showed just why he is champion jockey with a fine treble that exhibited his skill in the saddle to full effect.
He produced a dominant performance on Reveillez (30-100 favourite) in the Folkestone-racecourse.co.uk Beginners’ Chase, leading at the last to beat Pardishar by an easy two lengths, with Its Wallace Jnr 14 lengths back for the minor honours.
Winning trainer James Fanshawe was pleased the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old had got off the mark over fences, but was not too enthusiastic about running at the Cheltenham Festival, despite the gelding possessing a Royal & SunAlliance Chase entry.
He said: “I don’t know about Cheltenham – I’ll have to speak to the connections but his form would not be good enough to run in the SunAlliance and he wouldn’t be going for that.
“I’ll probably keep him small at the moment.”
Opera Mundi also justified odds-on favouritism (4-6) in the Barry Loves Posh Birds Maiden Hurdle, leading at the last and skating clear to beat Palm Island by three and a half lengths and give McCoy the first leg of his treble. Ceoperk was third, a further length and a half away.
The winner, trained by Paul Nicholls and sporting Sir Robert Ogden’s famous silks, was getting off the mark at the third time of asking, having finished runner-up on his first two starts including in much better company at Taunton last month.
He holds an entry in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but Ladbrokes were unimpressed and pushed him out to 33-1 (from 25-1).
The Burmarsh Novices’ Hurdle provided McCoy with the third leg of his treble courtesy of 4-1 chance Topkat, who gained a clear victory by five lengths from Border Castle, with Wellbeing nine lengths adrift in third.
Martin Pipe was making the long journey from Somerset pay off as the winner, who currently holds no Festival entries, gave him the second leg of a double.
Travelling Head Lad Craig Wylie, representing Pipe, said: “He has improved with every run and has steadily got better.
“I would imagine that he will be going to the Festival but we’ll see nearer the time.”
Pipe had earlier struck with the Timmy Murphy-ridden Yes My Lord (7-2) in the opening Dymchurch Handicap Hurdle, the seven-year-old beating Buckland Gold by three and a half lengths, with a length and a half back to Redwood Grove in third.
There was drama earlier in the race when long-time leaders Jackie Boy and Full On took the chase course immediately after the fifth hurdle with both horses being pulled up soon after.
Respective jockeys Antony Evans and William Kennedy were both suspended for 10 days from February 25 to March 6.
Wylie added: “The winner is an embryonic chaser and anything that he does this season is a bonus.”
Three-horse permit holder Sarah Wall followed up on last month’s victory here with Tallow Bay (8-1), saddling the Glacial Storm gelding to a facile seven-length defeat of Up The Pub under amateur rider Gerald Tumelty.
Kappelhoff was third, a further four lengths away.
She said: “Gerald said there was more in the tank.”
Owner Kate Digweed could not have been happier after Swincombe, ridden by amateur Andrew Hickman, had won the race she had sponsored – the Digweed Decade Hunters’ Chase.
The winner, representing the East Sussex & Romney Marsh Hunt, hit the front soon after three out and just lasted home by three-quarters of a length from the fast-finishing Cracking Dawn. Last year’s winner Paddy For Paddy was six lengths behind in third.
Winning trainer Sarah Hickman said: “He jumps for fun and stays and stays. He was just pipped over four miles last time.”
The concluding bumper was won by the Alan King-trained Pangbourne (5-1), who absolutely dotted up under Robert Thornton in making all by 20 lengths from Fredensborg, with Boston Strong Boy third.
