McCoy makes winning visit to Taunton
Tony McCoy's visit to Taunton for just the one ride paid off when he landed an easy success on Pullyourfingerout in the Support Racing Welfare Raffle Juvenile Hurdle today.
The multiple champion jump jockey took his tally for the campaign to 103 on the 7-2 shot, trained by Brendan Powell.
Free As A Lark made the running but had already faded out of contention when coming to grief at the fourth last.
McCoy had taken Pullyourfingerout to the front by that point and soon opened up a long lead before going on to score by 22 lengths from the 9-4 favourite Royal And Ancient.
"I had schooled him a lot before he ran the last day. I didn't see him but he was a little bit disappointing," said McCoy.
"He's a very good jumper and juvenile hurdlers that can jump have a huge advantage.
"I thought we'd gone off quick enough. I got a good sit on him down the back and when we got round the back again I gave him a squeeze. He was very professional.
"It's great for Brendan and for the owners. It's made their wedding anniversary which is nice," he told At The Races.
Organisateur duly landed the odds in the Somerset County Gazette Novices' Hurdle for the Paul Nicholls stable.
Leading between the last two flights, the 1-4 shot gave his supporters a scare when being far from fluent at the final obstacle.
However, he pulled away in style to win comfortably enough in the hands of 5lb claimer Ian Popham.
Ballinteni was 11 lengths back in second place with Tignello a further length and a quarter away in third.
Qianshan Leader (13-2) came with a late rattle to land the spoils in the Read Paul Nicholls Exclusively On Betfair Handicap Chase.
Emma Lavelle's charge was only third over the final fence but the six-year-old found an extra gear on the run-in to storm to victory under Jack Doyle.
The drop in trip was the idea of Lavelle's partner, Barry Fenton, and it worked the oracle for Qianshan Leader, who got home by a length from Rockiteer.
"I don't deserve any of the credit for this," said Lavelle.
"I couldn't believe he would be quick enough for two miles, but what I could get was that Barry had seen the race at Kempton and it didn't make any sense him winging his fences, gaining lengths in the air and then pulling him back to get the trip over three miles," said Lavelle.
"It made more sense to let him roll and use his jumping. He was absolutely right so all credit to him.
"And in fairness Jack gave him a peach of a ride. He let the other two race away in front of him.
"He said he was pretty much flat out from flag fall, but he was meeting every fence perfectly and jumping so well.
"He felt having filled him up a bit turning in if he did wing the fences in the straight he had a chance.
"When he got to the front he thought he'd done enough."
Kristoffersen (9-1) was an unlikely winner of a dramatic finish to the Best of Taunton Handicap Hurdle.
Admiral Dundas led approaching the final flight only to swerve badly and unseat Sean Quinlan.
That left the pace-setting Heir To Be back in front but he had no answer to the late surge of Kristoffersen.
Taking it up less than 100 yards from the post in the hands of Owyn Nelmes, the 10-year-old went on to score tidily by two and three-quarter lengths.
A shocked Quinlan said: "He's never done that before. I didn't want to take it up too soon. He's wanting to go left and I'm going forward at the time.
"It's a bit open going to the last. Maybe if the wing was up against the rail it might be a bit different.
"He's tough and he's genuine. I don't know why he did it."
