Mercurial McCoy in the money
No rider chases apparent lost causes with quite the steely determination of Tony McCoy and the champion jockey was at it again with his ride on Money Order at Newbury.
The pair combined for a gritty victory over a shorter two-mile trip at the track last month, which saw Brendan Powell’s gelding sent off the 4-5 favourite for the Arkell’s 3B Bitter “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
Things did not seem to be going to plan turning for home with Super Nick looking to have escaped.
But Money Order picked up the bridle before the last and, with the pair well clear, took over from the Tony Evans-ridden Super Nick on the run-in to hold on by a neck.
“Money Order is not the biggest but he stays all day,” said Powell.
“I’ll try to get another run into him, but we’ll keep things small again. He’s a typical Supreme Leader and will jump a fence one day.”
Jim Old’s horses are in decent form and the Barbury Castle trainer collected his fourth winner of the season through two-and-a-half-length victor Gala Evening (7-2).
It was a first success for the progressive five-year-old in the DavidParryRacing.com Handicap Hurdle, but he had to be stoked along by Jason Maguire well before the home stretch.
Gamely responding to his task, he foiled the brave run of Purple Patch after the last.
“We seem to have got over a virus and they’re just coming back,” said the winning trainer.
Paul Nicholls’ Nycteos was a well-backed 13-8 favourite on his comeback run before a chase engagement at Cheltenham but ran pleasingly enough in sixth.
Noel Chance is eyeing a trip to the Punchestown Festival with Signs Of Love, who was a ready winner of the Highcross Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.
Sent off the 7-4 favourite after likely market leader Mobaasher was a non-runner, he was kept handy all the way by Richard Johnson.
Left in front with two flights to go, Signs Of Love fought off the challenge of Mon Michel to gallop away by eight lengths.
“He’s a nice horse this,” said Chance. “He has no fancy entries but if he were to win another race, we might consider Punchestown.
“He jumps for fun and Richard said he’d make a nice chaser, perhaps as a four-year-old.”
There was a family success in the Securon Handicap Chase as Charlie Poste confidently rode Magic Sky (12-1), who is owned by his father.
Poste kept out of trouble in the early stages and crept into contention at the cross-fence on the back straight.
Jacks Craic also appeared to be travelling smoothly but Magic Sky passed him at the second last and cruised away from his rival to score by 11 lengths.
“We got him out of a seller last year from Paul Nicholls and he’s shown he is adaptable over hurdles and fences,” said winning handler Milton Harris.
“A strong-run two miles seems to be his trip and we might go for a handicap chase at Aintree now.”
The Arkell’s Brewery Novices’ Handicap Chase ended up with a cracking finish that went to Gary Moore’s New Entic (8-1), ridden by his son Jamie.
Leading two from home, he staved off the sustained challenge of Sha Bihan and Go For One to prevail by a length and three-quarters.
Moore snr has been disappointed by New Entic’s erratic form but believed his jumping won it for him on this occasion.
Stuart Morris is one of the most accomplished riders on the point-to-point scene and guided Coolefind home by 11 lengths in the Brian Vine Memorial Hunters’ Chase.
A good training performance by Wellingborough-based Bill Warner, it was the nine-year-old’s first start in over a year as he smartly dealt with Spring Grove.
“He’s had respiratory problems and is not easy to train, but he’s won nine from 14 now,” explained Warner.
“I wanted to get a run into him before Cheltenham but I couldn’t, and he won’t go because the entries have closed. There’s always next year.”
Nike Walker (4-7f) took the Stan James Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Byron Moorcroft just as easily as when winning at Folkestone on Wednesday.
David Pipe’s diminutive colt brushed off Dashing George by seven lengths but is soon set for a hefty rise in the ratings.
