Five-star McCoy sails past century
In doing so, the perennial champion jockey sailed past 100 victories for the season.
McCoy now needs just 16 winners to set yet another record in a truly remarkable career.
His first four winners came in the green and gold silks of his boss, JP McManus, with three of the horses trained by Jonjo O’Neill at Jackdaws Castle in Gloucestershire.
McCoy gave O’Neill’s Milan Bound a patient ride in the opening starsportsbet.co.uk Novices’ Hurdle at Carlisle to bring up his century for the season, before following up on board Pendra, Upswing and Finding Your Feet.
The Charlie Longsdon-trained Pendra finished second in the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle last season and locked horns with a similarly smart prospect in Nicky Richards’ Eduard in the Call Star Sports On 08000 521 321 Beginners’ Chase.
The race was just hotting up at the second-last as Eduard was still on the bridle when he made a slight error which handed the initiative to the 4-5 favourite, who coasted home by three and three-quarter lengths.
When told Pendra had been given a quote of 16-1 for the Jewson Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, Longsdon said: “He’s not quick enough for an Arkle, he’s bred for three miles.
“The Jewson would probably be right at this stage unless AP tells me something wildly different.”
Pendra was win number 101 for the season after Milan Bound had earlier brought up McCoy’s ton.
Finding Your Feet (6-4 favourite) was by far the most fortunate of McCoy’s winners as Dickie Henderhoop fell at the last when clear in the first division of the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
McCoy, who jumped the last in third, sensed his opportunity and his mount stayed on strongly to beat Rocking Blues by four lengths.
