What are we going to do without Tony McCoy?

On 7th April 1993 the great Peter Scudamore retired with 1678 winners on the board. That day, I turned to my wife and inquired, in a semi-rhetorical sort of a fashion, 'Tell me, dear, what are we going to do without The Scu?'

Into the breach stepped one Anthony Peter McCoy.

Tomorrow A.P. McCoy brings the curtain down on a stellar career with well over 4,000 winners in the bag.

On 26th March 1992 he chalked up the first of those winners at Thurles aboard a horse called Legal Steps for trainer Jim Bolger.

On 7th September 1994, claiming seven pounds, he rode his first winner in England at Exeter - Chickabiddy,  a 7/1 chance for handler Gordon Edwards.

Tomorrow at Sandown A.P. will be crowned champion jockey for the 20th successive year; the meeting is a sell-out.

He has two booked rides - Mr Mole in the bet365 A P McCoy Celebration Chase (3.15) and Box Office in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle at 4.25.

And rightfully, for a man who has broken all records, tributes abound.

Printed on the reverse cover of McCoy's autobiography are the words of John McCririck:

'The man is a colossus, we have never seen his like before.'

Nor are we likely to again.

Tell me, what are we going to do without Tony McCoy? 


Postscript: My final bet of the season will be Polly Peachum in Sandown's finale at 5.35. Nicky Henderson's mare was beaten a short-head by Southfield Theatre in the race last year and is likely to face stiff competition from the winner's half brother Southfield Vic in this renewal. That said, Southfield Vic's jumping was particularly sloppy at Haydock last time; the mare has something in hand on the book and will appreciate good ground. 

Tony McCoy - we salute you!

On 26th March 1992 Anthony Peter McCoy, aged 17, rode his first winner, a horse called Legal Steps, at Thurles.

Yesterday aboard a horse named Mountain Tunes at Towcester, A P McCoy, aged 39, rode his 4,000th winner - to universal acclaim.

Quoting from the epilogue of his autobiography written in 2002:

'I...know there is more do. 300 winners in a season? 3,000 before I retire? Who knows, but be sure of one thing: I will try.'

3,000 winners came at a wet and windy Plumpton in 2009 on Restless D'Artaix; at the moment he doesn't appear to be harbouring any thoughts of retirement.

Who is to say he won't ride 5,000 winners? Well, his wife, Chanelle:

'I would quite confidently say that 5,000 is unattainable and he knows that himself.'

Perhaps that's why Paddy Power offers 10/1 about the current champion reaching that particular landmark.

Last word on the matter to John McCririck - his words, printed on the reverse cover of McCoy's autobiography, sound as true today as the day they were written:

'The man is a colossus, we have never seen his like before.'

McCoy has always been amongst the winners, in stark contrast to my good self...

In tomorrow's Elite Hurdle at Wincanton Melodic Rendezvous is the one to beat but I was impressed with the manner in which Karinga Dancer dominated his field at Aintree a fortnight ago; despite suffering interference two out and making a hash of the last, the gelding still had eight lengths on his nearest rival. Granted, this represents a step-up in class but he could have a fitness edge on a couple of the market rivals and boasts course and distance winning form. Paul Nicholls, who has a good record in this race in recent years, saddles Far West but only one four-year-old has obliged in the past decade and I'm still unsure whether all the stable's runners are seeing out their races, despite high-profile victories for Tidal Bay and Rolling Aces last weekend. On offer generally at 7/2 this evening, Karinga Dancer is the selection while the money for Cotton Mill has been noted.

In the frame...

Earlier this week Daryl Jacob was appointed Paul Nicholls' second jockey. Having read Lucky Break and Ruby: The Autobiography, I wondered whether Nicholls would have perhaps considered an alternative arrangement this time given that first choice Walsh missed much of last year's core NH season with a broken leg. Of course, Walsh is peerless and returned to action in March to ride five Festival winners. Nonetheless hints of tension in the partnership were inevitably present - Nicholls was known to be disappointed by Walsh's decision to ride Willie Mullins' Mikael D'Haguenet ahead of Aiteen Thirtythree in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham. In the Weekender Alistair Whitehouse-Jones reports that trainer Nick Williams has acted quickly and appointed James Reveley as a replacement for Jacob but hints that Reveley's reluctance to relocate south could lead to problems in the future.

It may be very early days in the new NH season but I've seen snippets from Simon Holt and Alan Lee suggesting two jockeys who could give current champion A P McCoy a run for his money this year are Jason Maguire and the aforementioned Daryl Jacob.

Mickael Barzalona rode a double at Newmarket yesterday and later Barcelona won the Champions League Final at Wembley, but did anyone else think Paddy Power were sailing close to the wind with the advertisement that interspersed Channel 4's racing coverage? A young lady showed viewers a mobile device displaying the message 'Barcelona win normal time, refund losing bets'; the lady in question then encouraged punters to go to a specific web address. In actual fact the refunds applied to Paddy Power's correct score, scorecast and first/last goalscorer markets only; although full details were displayed in 'small print' on screen, I thought the deliberate impression created was the refund applied to all bets struck.

Finally, a couple of horses you may wish to follow if, unlike Ryan Giggs, you're a fan of Twitter...

Twitter horse Trending @Trending_Horse trained by @jeremygask website: http://socialmediaracing.com/

The People's Horse @peopleshorse website: http://www.thepeopleshorse.co.uk/

Student Horse Tae Kwon Do @StudentHorse His progress has been mentioned on the blog previously; he obliged at odds of 9/2 at Fontwell earlier today.

Sensational start to Festival week

Something of a sensation at the start to Festival week with Tuesday's Champion Hurdle favourite Binocular withdrawn from the race on the advice of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Having received legitimate medication for the treatement of an allergy, Binocular continued to test positive for the substance over the weekend; connections were left with little choice but to withdraw their charge as it appears clear the horse would have tested positive for the banned substance had he defended his title in the Champion. This was probably the last thing trainer Nicky Henderson wanted following his three month ban and £40,000 fine, having being found guilty of administering an anti-bleeding drug to The Queen's hurdler, Moonlit Path, a year ago. The vet in that affair, James Main, was later struck off by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Several layers have agreed to refund ante-post bets on Binocular while Betfair has declared void bets struck on the horse between 0800 and 1000 on Sunday morning.

Revised Champion Hurdle betting this evening: Menorah 100/30 favourite (bet365), Hurricane Fly 7/2, PeddlersCross 4/1, Oscar Whisky 8/1, Khyber Kim 12/1, Mille Chief 14/1. Of the market leaders, the price about Mille Chief is the one that appears to have contracted the least. Spare a thought too for Paul Townend who has done nothing wrong in riding Hurricane Fly to victory three times this season but he finds himself riding Willie Mullins' second string Thousand Stars while Ruby Walsh takes over on Hurricane Fly.

Talking of Ruby Walsh, earlier in the week I received what appeared to be a letter from the man himself and this afternoon he actually rang me up! Of course, he competely ignored everything I said on the phone but insisted I took out a subscription to Racing UK and pointed out I could win my subscription back with RUK's 'Ruby Tuesday' promotion. It's that time of the racing year - more offers than you can shake a stick at.

Additional snippets...

Geraghty has chosen Spirit Son in the first race on the first day
McCoy picks up the ride on Sprinter Sacre in the same race
Aegean Dawn is now likely to run in Wednesday's Coral Cup
Imperial Cup winner Alarazi is favourite for Friday's County Hurdle (8/1 totesport)
Choc Thornton rides Neptune Collonges in the Gold Cup, Daryl Jacob What A Friend
Tranquil Sea misses Thursday's Ryanair after a bad scope
Paddy Power offers to refund losing bets on the first race if Cue Card wins
Sam Winner is set to run in Friday's Triumph Hurdle.

With 3mm rain last night, the going on the Old Course has been eased to good to soft, good in places. A drop of rain would enhance Khyber Kim's chance in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle according to connections speaking on Saturday's Morning Line.

As always in Festival week, I aim to post selections the night before racing. I'm going to Cheltenham on Wednesday this year so will post Thursday's picks on Thursday morning. Below - profit/loss figures for the blog's highlighed selections to a £1 level stake over the past four years (just to give you an idea what you might be letting yourself in for...):

2010 +£5.75
2009 +£7.50
2008 - £4.99
2007 +£6.45

Of course, past performance is no guide whatsoever to future performance...

And finally... The lead property for sale in the 'Bricks And Mortar' supplement of Friday's Times was A.P. McCoy's 'lavish home' Lodge Down House. Amongst other features the property boasts a games room, a family room, a boot room as well as TVs in two bathrooms. 'The McCoys are splitting the estate to build a house and racing stable complex and are selling Lodge Down House with ... the best 38 acres of land.' A.P. looking to the future and contemplating retirement from the saddle perhaps? The property comes with a £2.5 million price tag - I had booked an appointment with my mortgage adviser for tomorrow morning but unfortunately it appears I've been beaten to it - the property is already under offer.

The day after the Trials

Two stand-out performances at yesterday's Trials Day were Grand Crus' victory in the Cleeve and Wishfull Thinking's display in the Murphy Group Chase. Grand Crus is now 3/1 second favourite for the World Hurdle while Philip Hobbs indicated connections will wait for the ground before deciding whether to go for the Jewson or the RSA with Wishfull Thinking. Generally I don't tend to play ante-post but the RSA market looks rather lop-sided at the moment - Time For Rupert 5/2, 14/1 bar. I always think a trouble-free preparation is important for Cheltenham and the RSA favourite missed his appointment here on account of a low-grade infection. Wishfull Thinking is 16/1 for the RSA, 10/1 for the Jewson but those prices led me to consider Robinson Collonges who has now missed his intended race on two consecutive Saturdays as a result of abandonments. Back at the beginning of November Paul Nicholls' charge looked to be running all over Wishfull Thinking in a novice chase at Wincanton but crumpled on landing three from home; current quotes about Robinson Collonges include 33/1 for the RSA, 20/1 for the Jewson and 14/1 for the Centenary Novices Chase (which is to be run on the opening day).

Along with many I suspect, I wasn't impressed with Punchestown's jumping in the Argento but after the race Nicky Henderson indicated Barry Geraghty "...was very pleased with his jumping." The handler is keen to get another run into a horse that takes "...a massive amount of work to get ready."

Talking of trials, a couple of weeks back I was offered a free one by Dave Rensham at Racing Trends and I decided to take up the offer. Dave's email cribsheet has landed in the inbox on a daily basis and contains a wealth of statistical information on the following day's racing. Now I know stats are stats and they're not necessarily for everybody but I think they're useful in exploring different angles - of particular interest to me were the positive / negative sire stats together with pace stats - suitable 'in running' trading opportunities were highlighted. Further details are available on the website - a monthly subscription costs £29.99 which works out at just under £1 a day.

The 'all new' Morning Line hit our screens for the first time on Saturday but looked remarkably similar to the old version with a few gimmicks and cosmetic changes thrown in (including a cyan settee that presenter Nick Luck seemed particularly proud of for some reason.) The Mac and Tania's Betting Guide item, in which a guy called Hamish, sporting a tweed jacket, asked about the different types of bets he could strike, didn't really work, neither did the technology in the attempted Skype-type link up with trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, ironically based ten miles or so down the road... Kim Bailey's impressive performance in the Guest Test just about saved the day.

Taken from Saturday's Times Magazine - What I've learnt by A.P. McCoy:
"Racing has never been a rich man's sport."
I'm with you there, Tony.
Mind you, I'm sure several owners would tell us that even if you come into this game rich, you won't be leaving it rich...

Finally, with Cheltenham just over six weeks away, it seems a bit early to be talking about Grand Nationals but apparently the good people of Harrogate are set to play host to the UK's first 'rabbit grand national'. Quick - pass me tablets - I can feel a headache coming on.

Telling it as it is...

John McCririck just didn't appear in one of his better moods on Saturday's Morning Line.

At one juncture the pundit sought to make the point that Tony McCoy 'told it as it was' in his column in The Daily Telegraph in contrast to Richard Johnson, formerly of The Times but now writing for The Daily Mirror. Whereas McCoy voiced his fears over the weight Synchronised had been allocated in the Welsh National, by contrast Johnson in his column said all his booked rides looked to have a nice chance etc. - in effect McCririck was making the point that Johnson's comments didn't really add value. Fair enough, but when taken to task by John Francome, McCririck blustered on, insisting that it was champ McCoy who 'told it as it was'.

Just under six hours later, McCoy rode Synchronised (carrying eleven stones six pounds) to victory in the Chepstow showpiece.

Trying to tell it as it is - not an easy thing to pull off in the racing game. Horses, as we know all too well, they make fools of you. As for McCririck - will he survive The Morning Line re-brand scheduled to hit our screens at the end of the month?

One day after the Hennessy

Diamond Harry's victory in yesterday's Hennessy appears to have generated a difference of opinion amongst the odds compilers; Nick Williams' gelding is quoted 16/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Coral while Labrokes and totesport offer a miserly-looking 8/1.

Although coming home some 15 lengths third behind Diamond Harry, Denman still put in a fantastic performance at the weights. Owner Paul Barber reported his pride and joy was in 'mint condition' following the race; that's very good news indeed - just for a fraction of a second as they walked back to the unsaddling enclosure I wondered whether, understandably, the great horse looked a little unsteady on his feet. I've just finished reading Jonathan Powell's Kauto Star and Denman -it's easy to forget that this horse was very ill suffering from atrial fibrillation of the heart (irregular heartbeat) after his Gold Cup victory in 2008.

There's more positive news this evening concerning Noel Fehily - it was feared the jock had broken his wrist in a fall at Newbury on Friday. Agent Chris Broad reports the wrist may not be broken; Noel goes back to hospital early in the week for an X-ray after the swelling has gone down a little.

The cold spell looks set to play havoc with this week's turf fixtures. Monday's card at Ffos Las together with Tuesday's meetings at Hereford and Southwell have been abandoned while Saturday's Tingle Creek fixture at Sandown has already been deemed at risk.

It's envisaged that Tony McCoy will be named as one of the ten personalities who will contest the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year 2010. The continuing rumblings about the ride McCoy gave Get Me Out Of Here at Ascot on 30th October have generated some unwanted publicity for the champ at a time when he could really do without it. At The Races presenter Sean Boyce gives a detailed exposition of events on his blog while The Guardian's Greg Wood accuses McCoy of petulance.

Finally, on Saturday evening, after the excitement of the Hennessy, Mrs Tips and I settled down for the next installment of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. Half way through the live show a pre-recorded piece was shown in which the remaining contestants, dressed in cowboy-style uniforms, assessed their chances using suitably extravagant Wild West language. The backdrop for Pamela Stephenson's monologue included what looked to be a rather large plastic horse; quick as a flash Mrs Tips pipes up, 'That plastic horse - it's showing a damn sight more interest than your each-way selection in the Hennessy.' Cutting.

Thoughts on Halloween

Quick notes from Wetherby yesterday... Deep Purple ran a fine race in the Charlie Hall - Evan Williams' charge was fairly eating up the ground at the finish, much as he did in the race last year. The Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on December 9th is the next stop. Interviewed on Channel 4 by Derek 'Tommo' Thompson, owner Graham Wylie put up three to keep an eye out for - Tidal Bay (finished third behind Fair Along in the John Smith's Hurdle), Presenting Forever and On His Own; the last named has a five day entry in the 3.10 at Hexham on Friday. Coastley was going well enough for a 28/1 shot in Fair Along's race but put in a howler at the ninth flight that practically stopped him in his tracks. He was pulled up shortly afterwards but could be of interest in the future, a comment that also applies to Gary Moore's Bogside Theatre who ran well for a long way at the head of affairs before taking a crashing fall three from home - the obvious concern is the mare's confidence will have been affected. Calgary Bay, a big-looking beast, appeared to be travelling sweetly and set for a place at least as the principals came to the top of the final bend but the gelding found disappointingly little when asked a question. Perhaps Martin Todhunter's outsider That's Rhythm (finished fifth) will be worth a second look when dropped a little in class. Gilbarry went into many notebooks when taking the opening novice chase by beating 6/5 favourite Osric, the pair 30 lengths clear of Knockavilla in third.

This season Paul Nicholls has moved stables and now writes a column for Betfair. The Racing Post, not to be outdone, hit back by announcing on Saturday they had signed up Nicky Henderson. In his first piece for the trade paper the Lambourn trainer kept punters in the picture by indicating many of his string were two weeks away from where he wanted them to be.

Weird Al returned to the track at Carlisle earlier today; Ian Williams' charge got up on the line to dead -heat with Little Josh over a trip that is probably short of his best. I was surprised to see Cape Tribulation sent off favourite for this intermediate chase; the bay didn't jump all that well at Hexham the last time veering left on occasions - that trait was evident again. He lost his position from the eleventh and was soon pulled up.

With Cheltenham's Open meeting less than a fortnight away, a quick reminder that Cheltenham Racecourse station is currently closed due to a landslip south of Gotherington Halt. Repair work has started - the latest estimate I have is that services are unlikely to be restored before mid summer; further details on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway website.

Finally, as highlighted on The Morning Line, Donald McCain's Drill Sergeant (formerly with Mark Johnson on the Flat) is blessed with ability but comes with quirks. Holding a fifteen length advantage in a Haydock novice hurdle, the Rock Of Gibraltar gelding pulled himself up at the the exit to the stables, going from first to last in a matter of strides. McCoy worked the magic though and the 11/10 favourite still ran out the winner, beating Brother Bob a length. In a recent stable tour article Donald McCain had said, 'It is possible we will ride him more positively in the future over 2m...' My guess is connections will be reviewing that approach. Incidentally, the form appears to pay a compliment to Kilcrea Kim who beat Drill Sergeant over two and half miles at Bangor. That one has a five day entry in the 1.35 at Exeter on Tuesday.

Weekend snippets

Cape Blanco (6/1) provided something of a shock at Leopardstown yesterday by making all to win the Irish Champion Stakes by five and a half lengths from stablemate Rip Van Winkle with Twice Over a short head behind in third.

Tony McCoy has been in fine form this weekend with a treble at Worcester today on Another Trump (3/1), Pinerock (3/1) and Drill Sergeant (10/11f) to add to his victory on Russian George (3/1) at Stratford yesterday. The winning distances in two of those events were recorded as a short head and a head - McCoy has ridden four winners from seven rides since Friday.

BBC4 screen This Sporting Life this evening at 10.00pm, a film that's a particular favourite of mine. Richard Harris stars in the lead role as Frank Machin, a rugby league footballer from Wakefield.

As pointed out on Saturday's Morning Line, this Youtube clip has gone viral... A race caller at Monmouth in the US had a bit of fun when two horses fought out a finish, one named My Wife Knows Everything, the other named The Wife Doesn't Know. Needless to say, My Wife Knows Everything came out the winner (because she actually does).

Two poetry points to finish on. Firstly, I was intrigued to learn over the weekend that poet John Cooper Clarke is now on the GCSE syllabus - unfortunately that's thirty five years too late for me. Secondly, here's a poem by John Masefield (1878-1967), who was on the O level syllabus (as it was known) thirty five years ago...

An Epilogue

I have seen flowers come out in stony places
And kind things done by men with ugly faces,
And the Gold Cup won by the worst horse at the races,
So I trust, too.

Guest blogger - National hero upstaged by Peppa Pig at Southwell

Since his retirement I've had more favours from my ex-boss in four months than during the fifteen years I worked for him.

After joining a party of rookie punters going to the Welsh National at Chepstow in December, Mr N. kindly wrote up a report for this blog. Undaunted by that particular experience, Mr N. then valiantly offered to take assorted relatives to Southwell last Sunday to celebrate the joint 160th birthday of his mother-in-law and her husband, a couple who have lived the majority of their lives in a sports-free zone.

This low-key meet was selected some months in advance as the track is close-by, and it offered the perfect opportunity to partake of a slap-up meal in the relaxed environment of the racecourse restaurant before getting down to the serious business of finding a winner or two.

Now, we're often told a jump jockey's life is full of ups and downs. After winning the National on Saturday at the fifteenth attempt, AP McCoy was brought back to earth with a bump when Merseyside police hit him with a £30 fine and three points on his licence after he was caught using the mobile whilst driving. To add insult to injury, after the paperwork had been completed, officers requested he posed for photos with them! The champ may have expected the punters who turned up at Southwell in unprecedented numbers the next day to request more photographs but in the event it was Peppa Pig (pictured below) who proved just as popular! Here's Mr N's edited report...

The meeting was marketed as one of Southwell’s Family Fun Days showing there is still life in live horse racing if you know how to present it. Our meal in the Queen Elizabeth Restaurant (which came as part of a race day package which we bought as the birthday present) was excellent and far better than you might expect from a small racecourse. The food was proper restaurant quality and declared good value by all the party.

In marked contrast the racing didn't promise very much at all. A quick look at the card indicated that anything of any quality had already appeared at Cheltenham or Aintree and this was confirmed by a couple of quotes from Timeform in the racecard - the first race was described as a “lowly handicap” and a comment about the next: “ it is difficult to warm to most of these…”

We could only work with what we had before us and, to my complete amazement, the mother-in-law’s husband came up with a place in the very first race, covering his costs and making a small profit (and his day too I suspect). We were already ahead compared to Chepstow. In the next I went with Darina’s Boy (preferred after the original choice was one of many non runners on the day); it was looking good to come home first but just ran out of steam against Tanner’s Court. The brother-in-law backed the third but was unimpressed by his modest returns.The third race brought disappointment for Mrs N who backed the third each-way in a four runner field. Never mind.

Finally skill and experience triumphed in the fourth race where there was no value in the odds on favourite and my preference was already a non-runner; as I watched the favourite Horseshoe Reef drift in the betting I slipped a few bob on Nulato which obliged at 11/4 - I got it at 4/1!

Sadly that proved the summit of my achievement although the brother-in-law found a 9/1 third and Mrs N, showing all her experience, wisely spotted nothing was likely to beat McCoy on Aberdale. The returns weren’t great but she enjoyed the runaway win all the same.

Mawsem was weighed down by my expectations and came in third in the last race - I broke even overall so things are looking up.

A very good day though and the first time I have enjoyed the race experience from the comfort of the restaurant; everyone got to claim some winnings no matter how modest and really entered into the spirit of the event. I am not sure if any of them will do it again but the brother-in-law did invite me to a Superbikes race meeting later in the year. That should be good when they come to the open ditch.

Further Festival fallout...

Further Festival fallout noted recently... two articles by Ruby Walsh written for the Irish Examiner; in the first Ruby explains that Kauto Star's chance in the Gold Cup went with that mistake at the eighth while in the second the jockey questions the wisdom of marketing the Cheltenham showpiece as a two horse race.

Not to be outdone, Ruby's sister Katie gave an interview to the Irish Independent following her two wins at the Festival on Poker De Sivola in the National Hunt Chase and Thousand Stars in the County Hurdle.

Meanwhile on Friday The Guardian ran a piece that nominated the five unluckiest losers at the Festival - how many of your wagers qualified?

The celeb gossip website popbitch.com published an introductory guide to the Festival for those new to the racing experience. At one particular juncture the article states Denman's jockey is 'Rob Bryden, sorry, champion jockey AP (Tony) McCoy'. Mrs Tips comments: 'Rob needs to do a lot more wasting to get the real AP look.'

Earlier in the week there was fallout of a different type for Sky Sports presenter Chloe Everton who was ordered to take down her Twitter page after a number of her tweets were considered 'too racy' by TV station managers. Poor old Chloe - what's a girl to do these days? Just what she would have made of the five-year-old mare Big Knickers finishing third in the 5.30 at Plumpton on Monday evening is anybody's guess; the comments-in-running included 'held up towards rear'. I'm sure several racecourse commentators can't wait to include any of the following in future commentaries - Big Knickers pulled up / brought down; Big Knickers out the back struggling with a big weight; Big Knickers just held on; Big Knickers stayed on (up the hill); Big Knickers looking comfortable; Big Knickers squeezed for room; Big Knickers out with the washing etc, etc. Feel free to make up your own.

After all that I think I need a drink. Luckily, I know the just the place, pictured below...

Weekend observations

Big Fella Thanks shot to the top of the Grand National ante-post market following his impressive win at Newbury yesterday; this evening most firms go 10/1 for next month's showpiece but both Stan James and Paddy Power quote 8/1.

Staying with yesterday's meet at Newbury, Tony McCoy and Paddy Brennan fought out the finish to the Veterans' Chase, McCoy taking the spoils on 9/1 shot Eric's Charm; last week the same two jocks were involved in a tight finish to the Racing Post Chase, Brennan coming out on top in that duel aboard Razor Royale. I really thought Brennan had this one in the bag as his mount Knowhere jumped the last marginally better than his rival and looked to take it up on the run to the line. However, after a couple of slaps with the stick, the horse veered out left and then had to be brought back right to avoid the running rail as the line approached; this manoeuvre resulted in the horse losing both momentum and vital ground while McCoy steered the straight course to victory. I was left with the feeling Brennan had been mugged on this occasion...

These days trying to purchase a copy of Raceform Update's Cheltenham Festival Guide from a local newsagent is as difficult as backing a 10/1 winner. I went to pay for mine yesterday and the guy behind the counter commented, 'They've all been after that this morning!' I'm not surprised - his was the only shop in Coventry city centre I could find selling the publication. As I started reading, the first stat to strike me may concern those who think Dunguib is banker material for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle - in the last decade 23 seven-year-olds have tried to win the race but only one has been successful - Captain Cee Bee in 2008. Following on from that, Captain Cee Bee, now a nine-year-old, is 7/2 favourite for the Arkle with most firms - only two horses from that age bracket have won that race since the war.

Two racing programmes to note in the coming week...
Thursday BBC4 21:00 Storyville - Race Horses.
This film follows three horses from Paul Nolan's Wexford stable over a racing year. David Charter (The Times) describes the programme as 'horse heaven'.
Friday Radio4 11:00 Racing Ahead.
Chris Ledgard looks at the problems facing the racing industry as the TV market shrinks and bookmakers look to exploit other avenues.

Betfred have been quick to pick up on last week's story of the unfortunate punter who ate his winning lottery ticket when he realised Ryanair staff couldn't pay him 10,000 euros mid-flight. Spotted in a Fred Done shop window - Goat eats winning football ticket but Fred pays up without a bleat!

The backdrop to this Saturday's Morning Line looked like something you'd come across in a residential care home for the elderly. In that vein, Lesley Graham had something of a 'senior moment' when she referred to that well known jockey Ruby McCoy. Apparently his friend and weighing room colleague Tony Walsh was none too pleased when he heard of Graham's gaffe.

Finally, this is what happens when sports stars stop playing sport and start singing instead... The Cheltenham Charity song is released tomorrow, money raised going to four racing charities. If Petula Clark isn't really your kind of thing and you prefer something a little more raunchy, then take a peek at Rafael Nadal's performance with Shakira in Gypsy. No sign of any trouble with the knees there, Mr Nadal...

Sunday snippets

Following Denman's defeat last weekend, champion jockey AP McCoy came in for some unjustified criticism from certain quarters after being unceremoniously dumped on the Newbury turf. Alan Lee penned a piece in Tuesday's Times defending the champ while yesterday Harry Findlay, joint owner of Denman, was at pains to point out to the TV cameras that the bookies currently have Denman priced correctly for next month's showpiece; in this week's Weekender paddock judge Ken Pitterson also observed Denman was carrying condition. Nonetheless the casual observer who watches a bit of TV racing on a Saturday afternoon will be left with the distinct impression that these days it's Ruby Walsh who is riding the big race winners. Two articles in the weekend's papers aim to redress the balance - David Walsh conducts an in depth interview with McCoy in today's Sunday Times while Tony shared the secrets of his success with readers of yesterday's Daily Mail.

The loss of Wincanton's Kingwell Hurdle card on Saturday has left Nicky Henderson with a headache as he tries to get another run into Punjabi before the Festival. The trainer is now pinning his hopes on the addition of a two mile hurdle race to Saturday's Kempton card - a decision will be made tomorrow. If that plan falls through, I guess a racecourse gallop will be on the cards for the current champion hurdler who is known to be quite a stuffy horse.

Me Voici (11/10f) looked the part when taking the Victor Ludorum at Haydock yesterday; bookmakers offer 25/1 about the winner for the Triumph but connections indicated they may miss the race. It's worth noting that in this race Venetia Williams' Stars Du Granits opened 100/30 on course, was backed in to 2/1 second favourite but got no further than the second flight. Similarly Monsieur Jourdain (25/1) threw away any chance he had with a terrible jump when in the lead four from home.

Following the death of former jockey and writer Dick Francis last Sunday, I was surprised by the number of people who came up to me and said they hadn't realised he was on board when The Queen Mother's Devon Loch famously 'did the splits' within sight of the winning post in the 1956 Grand National. There have been several tributes to the great man - I favoured this obituary in Monday's Daily Telegraph.

Finally to finish with... The Festival is a little over three weeks away - get yourself in the mood with this behind-the-scenes look at the the making of the Cheltenham Charity Song.

Racing returns

Jim Best's 5/1 shot Anak won the first jump race run for thirteen days when taking the opener at Kempton yesterday. Two and a half hours later Andy Turnell's Micheal Flips took a competitive-looking renewal of the Lanzarote with the minimum of fuss, having eight lengths to spare over 9/2 favourite Duc De Regniere at the line. This evening the winner is quoted a 20/1 shot with William Hill for the Totesport Trophy at Newbury on February 13th.

At Huntingdon I thought Prince Louis put in a reasonable performance finishing second to Celian in the aptly-named Totescoop6 Beats The Freeze Handicap Chase. This was his first run in eleven months and his first for the Charlie Mann yard; he jumped left throughout and will surely be seen to better effect on a left-handed track.

Retirement looked on the cards for Blazing Bailey if he didn't show some spark in the Beginners' Chase at Ffos Las earlier today. In the event he was beaten just a neck by Tony McCoy's mount The Sliotar - I presume the retirement plans are now on hold. McCoy went on to ride a treble at the course. Over the past couple of days the champion jockey has been linked with the ride on Denman in the Gold Cup. Speaking on New Year's Eve, Denman's trainer Paul Nicholls told The Mirror '...I'm not going to announce anything until after the Aon.' This evening Paddy Power offer the following prices about Denman's jockey for the Gold Cup - 2/5 Tony McCoy, 4/1 Sam Thomas, 5/1 Ruby Walsh, 20/1 Christian Williams.

We think we've seen off the last of the white stuff and then the forecasters threaten us with the possibility of more snow to come in the week ahead. It's getting that desperate - if we're hit with another freeze, I'm going to consider investing in a 3D TV. Wednesday's Times informed us England's home Six Nations Rugby Internationals will be screened live in cinemas using the technology - fans will know what it feels like to be tackled by Jonny Wilkinson. I was just wondering if the BBC will be in a position to transmit this year's Grand National in 3D...?

A couple of small notes...

An article in Friday's Guardian highlighted Channel 4's desire to save money without cutting its racing coverage. Bosses aiming to save £10,000 per programme are examining the manner in which presenters are used - Nick Luck looks set to become anchorman on The Morning Line.

Unfortunately the Racing Post's campaign to try and ensure Tony McCoy was one of the finalists for the 2009 Sports Personality of the Year has failed. McCoy rode his 3,000th winner, Restless D'Artaix, at Plumpton in February, but it would appear that the wider public aren't really all that interested.

A letter from Charlie Flindt of Alresford, Hampshire was published in The Times earlier this week. Apparently Google released its list of 'most searched words and terms' on December 1st, yet included figures for the whole of December. Mr Flindt enquires 'Is there any chance of it publishing all the racing results for the next month?' If only...

Finally, it has taken a long time but I'm starting to realise what many of you know already - that the tips on this blog are not the road to untold riches. Obviously I'm disappointed but you'll be pleased to hear I'm still keeping an eye out for new opportunities... At Liverpool earlier in the week I was fortunate enough to be in a position to give an impromptu concert at the world famous Cavern Club (picture below); halfway through my routine, for some unfathomable reason, the audience started to boo the previous act all over again. I think I could be on the verge of something big...

Greatest jockey

On a wet and windy Monday afternoon at Plumpton racecourse A P McCoy rode Restless D'Artaix (13/8f) to victory in the Tyser & Co Beginners' Chase and in doing so recorded his 3,000th winner. McCoy, not one given to public outbursts of emotion, declared himself 'ecstatic'. Needless to say the tributes have poured in; a selection of my favourites...

Nicky Henderson: "You'll never see numbers like this again."
Carl Llewellyn described McCoy as the greatest jump jockey of all time.
Simon Holt: "He's been a regular performer of miracles for all these years."
John McCririck: "The man is a colossus, we have never seen his like before."

In an age when the wage of a pampered Premiership footballer can easily reach £100,000 a week, the dedication and humility of A P McCoy stand out like a beacon. Tony McCoy, true sporting legend, we salute you.

The return of Denman

With Newbury abandoned, Denman is diverted and will make his eagerly-anticipated return in the Levy Board Chase at Kempton tomorrow, provided the course passes an 8.00am inspection. He's likely to start long odds-on; here are a few reasons why you should be wary about taking short odds...

- he hasn't run for 330 days
- he was extremely ill in the autumn with a fibrillating heart
- this is the acid test - nobody knows for certain whether he has fully recovered from the illness
- trainer Nicholls has had to build the horse back up whereas last year the reverse was the case - connections were keen to run him to gain some fitness
- Paul Nicholls: "Kempton is obviously not ideal, and I would never have wanted to run him in a King George round there..."
- Of his fourteen runs, only three have been on a right-handed track - two at Wincanton and one at Exeter.

For those looking to oppose, Albertas Run would have made much more appeal on better ground while course and distance winner Joe Lively comes to this in good form and is a potential front-runner but he had a hard enough race at Cheltenham two weeks ago. Madison Du Berlais isn't the best of jumpers and Trabolgan's return in December was rather disappointing. You pay your money and take your choice - the percentage call is Denman and plenty in racing will be hoping 'the tank' does his stuff. Of the opponents, Joe Lively looks to have the best chance should the favourite disappoint but this is a race to watch for future reference.

In the novices' hurdle at 1.40 Pause And Clause is the top-rated animal; his second behind Mad Max at Newbury is good form and the longer trip here should suit. In the 3.25 Lightning Strike will be popular but doesn't have an awful lot of experience over the larger obstacles. Charlie Mann's Moon Over Miami is a free-running sort often best coming off the pace. He can be temperamental and often gets upset by the preliminaries but has ability and on a going day wouldn't be without a chance. At the 6/1 reported by the Racing Post he'd be worth an interest provided he doesn't get too worked up beforehand. Leading Contender is the top horse in the Rasher Frith Memorial Beginners' Chase but has been off the track for well over a year; that being the case, a chance is taken at a price with The Cool Guy who was running a respectable race at Chepstow last time before tiring in the heavy conditions. The shorter trip should help but the stable's form is an obvious worry. In an open-looking bumper to finish with, Phillip Hobbs' Tzora should be thereabouts.

McCoy's quest for 3,000 winners continues tomorrow with four rides booked - Abutilon (2.15), Albertas Run (2.50), That's An Idea (4.00) and Quipe Me Posted (4.35).

Points of (some) interest

Ferdy Murphy's Kalahari King won the John Smith's Race Extra Smooth Novices' Chase at Musselburgh today and is now quoted as low as 10/1 for the Arkle. At the same meeting Nicky Henderson won the Triumph Hurdle trial with Giorgio Quercus but hinted the horse may miss Cheltenham in favour of either Aintree or Punchestown.

Paddy Power has taken a particularly dim view of Big Zeb's fall at Punchestown this afternoon and now price the horse at 14/1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

At Sandown on Saturday Celestial Halo beat Osana but of the two I, in common with many I suspect, prefer the latter. Osana is currently quoted 10/1 second favourite for the Champion Hurdle with Celestial Halo 12s.

In the last fortnight Christian Williams has ridden two Saturday big-race winners for the Nicholls yard, both at Doncaster - Big Fella Thanks and I'msingingtheblues. It looks as though Sam Thomas is paying the price for a couple of high-profile falls earlier in the season. Any talk of Doncaster and you immediately think of the St. Leger but you wouldn't be advised to stay in the Grand St Leger Hotel if the recent report compiled by The Times' mystery guest counts for anything.

Listening to Radio Five Live's broadcast of the Liverpool v. Chelsea match, I heard the commentator tell listeners that he'd just received some racing news - Tony McCoy did not win the 4.10 at Fontwell. For that matter neither did Dominic Elsworth, Jamie Moore, Christian Williams, Aiden Coleman and Jack Doyle amongst others. Tom O'Brien, who did win the 4.10 at Fontwell, also failed to get a mention. You can understand why the champ, still two winners short of the magical 3,000, will be glad when the milestone has been reached and business can return to normal. If the predicted snow arrives, it's likely he'll have to wait towards the end of the week before he can try again.

Denman is scheduled to make his reappearance this weekend, either at Newbury on Saturday or over in Ireland on Sunday. I'm not a great one for ante-post betting but perhaps now is the time to consider the 3/1 offered by Coral and William Hill about Kauto Star to win the Gold Cup. If Denman's return proves to be below par, Kauto is likely to shorten; even if Denman delivers, Kauto still has an excellent chance, particularly if the race is run on decent ground.

Finally, here's a salutary tale to finish on. A colleague of mine popped into a William Hill shop early last week, took a pre-printed football coupon from one of the several holders found in such establishments and invested £2 of his own money on an eight match accumulator. The writing at the bottom of the slip indicated he would collect £70 should his eight predictions come to pass. As a matter of interest, he later logged onto his computer, typed in the same eight selections on the William Hill website and was horrified to discover that the online payout would be £88. Fortunately for him, West Brom failed to beat Manchester United.

Pick 'n' mix

Derby week started with Vision D'Etat winning the French version from Dermot Weld's Famous Name with the filly Natagora running a brave race in third - a filly hasn't won this for well over a hundred years.

Epsom hosts the Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday. The build-up to the Derby hasn't been without its troubles - some fancied runners have fallen by the wayside and there have been well documented problems with sponsorship. Added to that, the course is undergoing building work at the moment...

Talk of building work brings to mind Great Leighs which staged its first public meeting earlier in the week. The general picture to emerge is that there's still a long way to go. If you fancy a day's racing at Great Leighs anytime soon, before you go, make sure you've read Alan Lee's article from The Times, just so you know what you're letting yourself in for...

The other day, browsing through the BBC's blog network, I chanced upon this Inside Sport piece in which Tony McCoy showed Gabby Logan around his home. Mrs Tips, watching over my shoulder, couldn't believe it when AP told the cameras that at the races he drank lots of hot sweet tea - usually six to eight sugars per cup.

Radio Four's Sunday programme ran a short piece on religion and racing earlier today. Luke Harvey talked to Frankie Dettori, Walter Swinburn and Eddie Ahern amongst others but, if any of them had received a tip from the Almighty, they weren't for sharing it with the likes of you and me...

Mtoto Girl, sent off 100/1 in a handicap at Goodwood last Friday, finished, as you might expect, eleventh of the twelve runners. The name Mtoto though brought back memories of the great horse with the white blaze from the mid / late eighties (who happens to be Mtoto Girl's sire). Michael Roberts, the only South African to have become champion jockey in Britain, chose Mtoto's defeat of Reference Point in the 1987 Eclipse as 'the race of [his] life'. That was twenty one years ago, but it seems just like yesterday.

Straight forecast for Cheltenham?

The weekend before the Festival, the calm before the storm, tends to be a tense time for owners, trainers, jockeys and, of course, punters alike. One thing for certain is that tomorrow we'll know whether champion jockey Tony McCoy has been passed fit to ride following his fall at Warwick in January. On the other hand the weather has a much more uncertain look, with, at this stage, wet conditions now looking more likely than not for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Many of the preview articles in the Weekender and the Raceform Update Cheltenham Guide have been written on the understanding that the ground will ride just on the soft side of good and progressively dry out through the week. If the forecast rain arrives, the ground is likely to ride much softer at the start of the meeting. As always, I'll be at Cheltenham on Wednesday but with the uncertainty surrounding the state of the ground, I have decided to resist a couple of early 'nibbles' in the local bookmakers' outlets and will now probably wait until the day before getting involved.

The racing might be low key at the moment but Howard Johnson, together with supporters of World Hurdle favourite Inglis Drever, will have been pleased to see Companero win at Carlisle today following a lean spell for the stable.