McCoy gets his hands on Pulse

Tom Taaffe has snapped up the services of champion jockey Tony McCoy to ride leading hope Finger Onthe Pulse in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The seven-year-old ran out an impressive winner on his seasonal reappearance at Limerick back in October and chased home subsequent John Durkan scorer Noland on his latest outing at Down Royal.

He claimed the scalp of Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up and subsequent impressive winner Barbers Shop in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March and Taaffe is delighted with his current condition.

“All being well he will go to Cheltenham and his form has worked out very well in recent days so please god he lives up to it all,” said the Co. Kildare handler.

“He is also in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork on Sunday but that was just a precautionary entry and the Cheltenham race is definitely the plan.

“We have managed to get Tony to ride him so that is obviously a bit of a plus and we are going there hoping he will run a very big race.”

Peter Bowen is hoping Yes Sir can make amends for a tumble on his last visit to Prestbury Park when he returns for Saturday’s feature.

The nine-year-old fell at the fourth-last fence when disputing second place behind eventual winner Imperial Commander in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Prestbury Park last month.

He proved he had no ill-effects from that experience when seventh to Classic Fiddle over a similar distance at Newbury.

“He goes to Cheltenham and he’s come out of his last run in good form,” said the Haverfordwest trainer.

“He was a bit unlucky in the Paddy Power – I think he’d have been in the money.”