Captain seals leading rider title for McCoy

TONY MCCOY emerged as the leading rider at the three-day Festival meeting at Fairyhouse, having registered his fourth win of the week on board the Tom Taaffe-trained Glenfinn Captain in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Novice Hurdle yesterday.

McCoy, seen at his brilliant best on Justified in Sunday's Powers Gold Cup, displayed his tactical expertise on the J P McManus-owned Glenfinn Captain as he dictated the pace throughout before gaining a convincing win over O.Muircheartaigh, which pressed the winner from half-way before failing to get on terms approaching the final flight.

Winning trainer Tom Taaffe was quick to pay tribute to McCoy's handling of the 9/4 shot in what he termed "a muddling race" before adding: "This horse won a bumper for Bill Lanigan before we bought him for 'J P' and this was his first season of serious racing."