McCoy hits a winning streak

TONY McCoy stole the show on Leicester’s all-hurdle card yesterday with a near 29-1 four-timer from five rides to take his tally for the campaign to 155.

Two of his winners, Schism and Amuse Me, were for his main patron, Jonjo O’Neill, while Nicky Henderson’s Zama Zama and Phoenix Flight from the James Evans stable provided the rest of the ammunition.

McCoy’s spree began with the Schism (3-1) in the Leicester Juvenile Fillies’ Hurdle. The three-year-old had shown fair form on the Flat when with Henry Candy and transferred that to jumps as she swept home by five lengths from Flying Phoenix.

Sixteen-times champion McCoy doubled up on Amuse Me (3-1) in the Waltham On The Wolds Handicap Hurdle for O’Neill, who also struck with Canal Bank at Market Rasen. The grey rallied gamely to deny the favourite Edgebury by a length.

Zama Zama a 2-11 shot, took the Mountsorrel Maiden Hurdle by six lengths without coming out of second gear to continue Henderson’s run, then Phoenix Flight (4-7) completed the quartet – but only by a rapidly-diminishing nose from Rowan Tiger in the Knighton Novices’ Hurdle.

McCoy’s only losing ride came on odds-on shot Kells Belle, who had to settle for second behind Fiendish Flame (11-2) in the Vale Of Belvoir Handicap Hurdle for Jennie Candlish.

Meanwhile, Sizing Europe – installed an early 7-4 favourite – will face eight rivals on his return to two miles in the sportingbet.com Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown tomorrow.

Henry De Bromhead’s stable star has won three out of four in Britain, all at Cheltenham, his sole defeat in the Champion Hurdle when he went wrong between the final two flights. He has experimented over a variety of distances, but has won an Arkle and a Champion Chase over this trip of two miles.

Paul Nicholls has his usual strong hand in the feature race with two solid contenders. Andy Stewart’s Tataniano, an impressive winner at Chepstow on his reappearance, and the unexposed Kauto Stone. A half-brother to Kauto Star, twice a winner of this race, he was a very impressive winner of a Grade Two event at Down Royal on his first start for the yard.

However, Nicholls has revealed Kauto Stone will only line up if conditions change

“I’ve left him in as I’ve seen two very different weather forecasts,” said Nicholls, who has booked Sam Thomas for the ride. “One says there could be a lot of rain, the other says there could be hardly any. It was a 48-hour declaration race so we declared him and we can see what happens with the weather.”

Philip Hobbs has decided to drop Wishfull Thinking after his defeat in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Nick Williams has two contenders in Gauvain and Cornas, while David Pipe also runs both Dan Breen and I’msingingtheblues.

Gary Moore’s Fix The Rib completes the line up.

Neil Mulholland’s Mad Max heads 15 runners declared for the Betfred Becher Chase at Aintree tomorrow.

The highly-rated chaser showed some smart form when trained by Nicky Henderson and makes his debut for his new yard over the Grand National fences this weekend. Heading the ante-post betting is last year’s winner Hello Bud, while Nicholls is represented by Niche Market.

Dessie Hughes saddled Black Apalachi (2008) and Vic Venturi (2009) to success in consecutive renewals and has another major contender in Rare Bob. Joining him on the trip from Ireland is the Noel Meade-trained Another Palm.