Ballyoliver won the Forbra Gold Cup at Ludlow by a length to give in-form trainer Venetia Williams back-to-back wins in the feature race of the day, having collected the Surrey National at Lingfield the previous afternoon with Emperor’s Choice.
When speaking on the Cheltenham Festival preview circuit, McCoy has been very sweet on the chance of Buddy Bolero in the National Hunt Chase, having won on the David Pipe-trained horse by 12 lengths at Leicester last month – with Ballyoliver a distant fifth.
McCoy has been very sweet on the chance of Buddy Bolero in the National Hunt Chase, having won on the David Pipe-trained horse by 12 lengths at Leicester last month
McCoy will have to watch from the stands, however, as the NH Chase is only for amateur riders.
While AP has the domestic jockeys’ championship in safe keeping for the 18th successive time, it is much more nip and tuck in Ireland where Davy Russell is making a positive bid to retain the title he won last season for the first time.
Table topper Russell’s trio of winners at Thurles went unanswered by main rival Ruby Walsh and the lead is now five (91-86). The pick of Russell’s scorers was Bright New Dawn in the Grade Two novices’ hurdle, although he skips Cheltenham in favour of either Fairyhouse or Punchestown.
Bright New Dawn was being challenged strongly by Venture Capital, whose last-flight fall resulted in another sad fatality for owner J P McManus.