McCoy plumps for Don't Push It in National

McCoy ended weeks of speculation before midday yesterday as he looks to fill one of the glaring omissions on his CV.

In recent weeks bookmakers have seen plenty of cash for the Willie Mullins-trained and JP McManus-owned Arbor Supreme, as well as Jonjo O'Neill's Can't Buy Time, a stablemate of McCoy's selection. But the Irishman threw punters a curve ball by picking the ten-year-old Don't Push It, who won a three-mile-one-furlong handicap chase at the meeting last year. Conditional jockey Richard McLernon has come in for the ride on Can't Buy Time. Paul Townend was booked for Arbor Supreme last week.

"I decided to go for him on the basis that he can probably go on any type of ground, more so than Can't Buy Time, who would probably need it to keep drying out," said McCoy. "Don't Push It has a little bit of class, he's run well in one or two good races in the past so he just got the vote. Choosing your Grand National horse is never easy. If you said I could ride any one of the 40 I'm not sure I'd get the right one and that is what makes it the race it is."

The other major jockey news of the day involved lady amateur rider Nina Carberry, who has picked up the plum mount on Character Building. The grey has only recently been bought by David and Patricia Thompson, the proprietors of Cheveley Park Stud. In a quirk of fate, the Thompsons won the 1992 Grand National with Party Politics, another who was purchased just days before the race, in the heat of a General Election battle. "Mrs Thompson said she was a huge fan of Nina and said she would like her to ride if Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh or a top jockey was not available," said trainer John Quinn. "She asked me what I thought and one could only say that she's outstanding. Mrs Thompson asked me to book Nina so I rang to ask her if she'd like the ride and she said she'd be delighted."

Carberry has once before ridden in the National, when finishing ninth aboard Forest Gunner in 2006, however, no woman has ever won the Aintree showpiece.

Carberry revealed the booking came out of the blue, so much so that she had not even intended going to the meeting. She said: "I can't wait now. It's great news and I'm delighted that the owners and trainer are letting me ride him.

"I just found out this morning when John Quinn rang me. I didn't have a clue, it was a surprise. I wasn't even going over to Aintree. It's very exciting."

Ruby Walsh, who rides the favourite Big Fella Thanks tomorrow, got one over his great rival McCoy yesterday as What A Friend won an incident-packed renewal of the Totesport Bowl at Aintree to give part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson some compensation for Manchester United's elimination from the Champions League on Wednesday.

Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander was never travelling smoothly and unseated Paddy Brennan at the 14th fence, and it was Nacarat and Carruthers who battled for the lead throughout. Turning for home McCoy appeared to hold all the aces on the former, however, he belted the first fence in the straight and lost all chance. Carruthers then looked the likeliest winner but a sticky leap at the last left the Paul Nicholls-trained What A Friend (5-2) with an advantage he would not relinquish and he won by three and a quarter lengths.