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13 Feb 12
00:11
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05 Jan 10
Tony McCoy: lovely to be back on turf but Leopardstown does not shake my faith in Grands Crus for Cheltenham
It was a relief to get back on the grass for the first time in nearly a fortnight and it was also good to feel 100 per cent again.
By Tony McCoy telegraph.co.uk
The one positive of the cold snap is that it bought me more time for my ribs to make a full recovery.
As a Cheltenham trial meeting I am not sure that yesterday at Leopardstown threw up too many obvious Festival winners. Quel Esprit, who won the Hennessy, seems to have regained his confidence jumping, but he had an easy lead yesterday and was given a good ride.
He was never really put under pressure and that will not happen in the Gold Cup.
That race still looks between two horses, Kauto Star and Long Run. Quel Esprit is up there with my mount, Synchronised, and Midnight Chase – hoping for better but really vying for third place.
I am not worried about Synchronised’s not running on Sunday. He has always taken a long time to get over his races and he will now go to Cheltenham fresh and in good form.
Dermot Weld won the Triumph trial with the improving Hisaabaat.
The Triumph still looks very open and this puts him in the mix.
It is certainly hard to rule him out as the third, Countrywide Flame, would not be a million miles off the best of the British, having finished second in a Grade One at Chepstow last time.
Benefficient was a bit of a turn up in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle but I don’t think he’d bother either Fingal Bay in the Neptune or the market leaders (Steps To Freedom and Simonsig) in the Supreme.
Last but not least was the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice chase winner Last Instalment, whose jumping left a lasting impression on a lot of racegoers.
He got a very soft lead and though he caught the eye with his jumping, his three rivals all jumped pretty well going that pace.
He is a horse to keep an eye on but Grands Crus is unquestionably the best horse in this division.
The only way they would beat him is if the RSA is run at a crawl and he pulls too hard.
The Feltham Chase was the perfect race for him because we went a suicidal gallop up front.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Last Instalment but, at this stage, I prefer Grands Crus and I can’t see that changing before the Festival
It was a relief to get back on the grass for the first time in nearly a fortnight and it was also good to feel 100 per cent again.
By Tony McCoy telegraph.co.uk
The one positive of the cold snap is that it bought me more time for my ribs to make a full recovery.
As a Cheltenham trial meeting I am not sure that yesterday at Leopardstown threw up too many obvious Festival winners. Quel Esprit, who won the Hennessy, seems to have regained his confidence jumping, but he had an easy lead yesterday and was given a good ride.
He was never really put under pressure and that will not happen in the Gold Cup.
That race still looks between two horses, Kauto Star and Long Run. Quel Esprit is up there with my mount, Synchronised, and Midnight Chase – hoping for better but really vying for third place.
I am not worried about Synchronised’s not running on Sunday. He has always taken a long time to get over his races and he will now go to Cheltenham fresh and in good form.
Dermot Weld won the Triumph trial with the improving Hisaabaat.
The Triumph still looks very open and this puts him in the mix.
It is certainly hard to rule him out as the third, Countrywide Flame, would not be a million miles off the best of the British, having finished second in a Grade One at Chepstow last time.
Benefficient was a bit of a turn up in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle but I don’t think he’d bother either Fingal Bay in the Neptune or the market leaders (Steps To Freedom and Simonsig) in the Supreme.
Last but not least was the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice chase winner Last Instalment, whose jumping left a lasting impression on a lot of racegoers.
He got a very soft lead and though he caught the eye with his jumping, his three rivals all jumped pretty well going that pace.
He is a horse to keep an eye on but Grands Crus is unquestionably the best horse in this division.
The only way they would beat him is if the RSA is run at a crawl and he pulls too hard.
The Feltham Chase was the perfect race for him because we went a suicidal gallop up front.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Last Instalment but, at this stage, I prefer Grands Crus and I can’t see that changing before the Festival
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An interesting piece but McCoy is under the misapprehension that Grand Crus may run in the RSA. Given that Kauto is too old now and Long Run can't seem to jump and may have gone back since last season, grand crus is a shoo in for the Gold Cup.
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