Racing: McCoy never out of business

Record-breaking jockey Tony McCoy gained one of the most dramatic successes of his distinguished career when Family Business finished alone after being remounted in the Feast Of St Raymond Novices’ Chase at Southwell.

And one lucky punter backed the odds-on favourite at 1,000-1 in running.

The Martin Pipe-trained Family Business started the 8-11 chance and there was a big groan from the stands as he made a mistake at the 10th fence and unseated McCoy.

But with Oh No Whiskey having fallen at the first fence and the rest of the seven runners gradually departing, the race for all intents and purposes was over with no finishers when the last three remaining came to grief at the fourth last.

But McCoy is not champion for nothing and having heard the commentator relay the drama and realising Family Business, who had been caught by Pipe’s travelling head Bob Hodge after covering just a couple of furlongs, had clearly escaped unscathed he decided to remount him.

He trotted the gelding back to the fence where they had parted company, jumped that and then completed a full circuit of the course without mishap to claim the prize to a great cheer from grateful punters.

McCoy could hardly believe his luck and said with a smile: ‘‘It is unbelievable, I have never had one finish alone without being remounted they had gone too quick, but by the time they got tired I had fallen off!

‘‘When I heard what was happening I said to Bob that I should get back on so we went back to the fence where I had fallen off and started again - I quickened up down the back because they said Rupert (Wakley, who had been unseated from Eaux De Coeurs four out, the horse having earlier fallen at the 12th) had remounted and I did not know if he was going to jump the remaining fences.’’

He went on: ‘‘I can’t believe it, it should have been only a matter of getting round on him and I fell off but if someone offered me another winner like that I wouldn’t say no!’’

Betfair, the exchange betting firm where bets are matched between punters on a person-to-person basis, do in-running betting on racing.

And when Family Business fell, some people thought that meant for easy money, and they started to lay the odds-on favourite.

Family Business went out more and more as the rest of the runners continued, and finally drifted to 1,000-1, where some lucky punter put £4 on him as McCoy remounted. The person in question winning £4,000.

‘‘It’s not often you get to back the champion jockey at odds against, let alone at 1,000-1,’’ said Mark Davies, director of communications for betfair.com.

Some bookmakers claimed that the race should have been made void, firstly because Family Business had jumped one fence twice and secondly feeling that the judge should have left his box by the time McCoy and Family Business passed the post.

However, stewards’ secretary Phil Tuck said: ‘‘We have spoken to London and they say that jumping a fence twice is not a reason for disqualification but it would be if he missed a fence out a horse can be remounted and continue in the race as long as he goes back to where he departed.’’

And as far as the judge was concerned Tuck added: ‘‘The judge stays in his box until such time that he is sure no horse is going to finish so he was in order to stay there until Family Business finished the course.’’

The standard time for the three miles one furlong test is 6mins 10.2 secs but through all the mayhem Family Business was timed at 10mins 30.9 secs, including the spell while he was waiting for McCoy to renew the acquaintance.

Mark Bradburne, who was deputising for Jimmy McCarthy on Oh No Whiskey, was taken to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham to be ’checked over as a precautionary measure’, but the rest of the jockeys and horses escaped unscathed.

Wakley would have taken the spoils on Eaux Les Coeurs who was clear when they parted company at that fourth last and he reflected: ‘‘It isn’t the first time one got away and it won’t be the last!

‘‘I really thought she would jump the fence all right, but she was put off by the horse (Red Radish who was clear when he refused) who was in the ditch.

‘‘I just wonder whether the fences here should be made a bit more inviting for the horses.’’

McCoy completed a double when Family Business’s stable companion Hernandita, a winner on the Flat for John Dunlop, made it two wins out of two over jumps when taking the second division of the St Emerentiana’s Day Mares’ Only Novices’ Hurdle.