Island joy for McCoy

Tony McCoy and Fota Island floored a disappointing Central House to win the Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse.

Central House, who was sent off the 4-5 favourite, made the running under Paul Carberry, but was joined by his three rivals at the third-last, where Fota Island went on.

Any chance Central House had vanished when he hit the second-last hard, after which Carberry allowed Dessie Hughes’ horse to come home in his own time and eventually finish last of the four runners.

Fota Island (11-8), trained by Mouse Morris and owned by JP McManus, went on to score comfortably by four lengths from Old Flame.

William Hill cut Fota Island to 7-1 from 10-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and eased Central House out to 16-1 from 10s. Cashmans go the same price about the winner for the Festival highlight from 8s.

McCoy was completing a quick double having taken the previous race, the Mulhuddart Novice Hurdle, on the Joseph Crowley-trained Firth Of Forth (1-2), also owned by McManus.