Pipe jumps to McCoy’s defence
Armed with a photograph taken of Deano’s Beeno when he pulled out of his box this morning, Pipe said: “In a sense I blame myself for bringing the horse back to Cheltenham. He’s always been a bit naughty, but he hates it here.
“I think the whole thing was blown up because it was on TV, but it’s all about perception, and interpreting what happened was a difficult job for everyone concerned.
“Deano’s is in fine fettle, ate all his food and is perky. I was there when the head lad fed him and I would stake my life that there’s not a mark on him. One thing that needs emphasising is that many of the so-called hits were just taps and Tony didn’t thrash the horse in any way.”
Following the incident, in which the veteran gelding eventually consented to race and went on to finish fourth behind Sh Boom in the three-mile race, McCoy was banned by the stewards for improper riding.
The ban runs from January 12 to January 16, which means McCoy will miss no big races.
