Racing: McCoy fails to close on record

Tony McCoy has failed to make racing history this afternoon after a return to action at Exeter.

The champion jockey could have equalled Gordon Richards’ record of 269 winners in a season set in 1947 today as he was just four short and had that number of rides at the Devon track.

He kicked off today with rides in the first three events with his final mount coming in the last of a seven-race programme.

While partnering Tosawi for Ron Hodges in the 2.10 he had no luck as his mount pulled up approaching three out.

In the second race at 2.40 he finished unplaced on the fancied Turkestan in the Raleigh Gilbert Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

The Martin Pipe-trained five-year-old was backed into 9-2 favourite from 7-1 but never gave his supporters much hope as he was always struggling to keep in touch in the last half of the race.

His disappointing afternoon continued when he was well beaten on 2-1 favourite Nocksky in the South-West Racing Club Chase.

Nocksky, who is entered in the Martell Grand National a week on Saturday, raced prominently until dropping out of contention on the final circuit of the near three-mile handicap and was eventually pulled up.

McCoy wound up with Miss Cool, also for Pipe, in the concluding 5.10 race but only made third.

He has until April 27 to set a new standard.