No winners, but McCoy happy to be back

Tony McCoy was out of luck with his two comeback rides at Sandown, but the champion jockey declared himself fighting fit ahead of next week’s Cheltenham Festival extravaganza.

McCoy had been out of action since fracturing two vertebrae in a fall at Warwick on January 12 and faced a race against the clock to be back in time to ride at jump racing’s premier event.

The 33-year-old went to extreme lengths to ensure his recovery, including spending time enduring temperatures of minus 150 degrees during kriotherapy treatment.

Having spent the last two weeks riding out for Jonjo O’Neill, he was passed fit to ride by the British Horseracing Authority on Friday morning and returned to the saddle aboard Rapid Increase in the EBF Sunderlands “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final.

His mount only finished fifth, but McCoy was just happy to be back in the plate.

After dismounting, he said: “That was good. I feel grand and I am happy to be back riding again, although I will be happier when I ride a winner!

“I have made a good recovery, but I would not be back if I wasn’t fit – I am not here to make up the numbers. It has done me good to have a ride, but I am plenty fit enough.”

McCoy finished down the field in the feature Sunderlands Imperial Cup as Tarlac failed to fire and will have a further two rides at Hereford on Sunday.

“It’s frustrating when you are out injured, but it’s part of the job and you just try to get back as quickly as possible,” the 12-times champion added.

“It was pretty depressing the first couple of weeks because I was just lying on my back, getting a bit fat, but then I was in Dubai for 10 days, which was good.

“I was walking along the beach for five or six miles every day in the sun, which helped. Then I was at Champneys Health Spa for 10 days and had kriotherapy and plenty of exercise to help me get fit.”

Bookmakers saw a flurry of bets on Friday for McCoy to be crowned champion jockey at Cheltenham and he is now a best-priced 7-1.