McCoy hoping for Exotic improvement

Tony McCoy is hoping Exotic Dancer will be back to his best when he takes on his old adversary Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained gelding finished 20 lengths behind Paul Nicholls’ ace when the pair were second and third behind Monet’s Garden at Aintree last month.

Yet that performance was way below the form he showed when runner-up behind the Betfair Million hero in the King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup last season.

Exotic Dancer did, however, show remarkably improved form from his first to his second runs last November when he landed the Paddy Power Gold Cup just five days after trailing in a distant second to Turpin Green at Carlisle.

“He didn’t jump that well (at Aintree) but we’d be hoping it was just a similar sort of performance that he put up this time last year when he went to Carlisle,” McCoy told At The Races.

“We’ve got a very good horse to beat in Kauto Star. As I’ve said all along, he is a super horse but every horse is beatable.

“There’s no point going out there thinking a horse is unbeatable. He (Kauto Star) was probably a little bit disappointing at Aintree but he looked probably as though he needs further now.

“He’s still a very good horse and he’s the horse we’ve all got to beat.”