McCoy rules out Punchestown appearance

Tony McCoy believes it is “very likely” that he will ride Shutthefrontdoor rather than Cause Of Causes in the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree next month and has also confirmed he will not be riding at the Punchestown Festival.

The Aintree news does not comes as a huge shock given last year’s Irish National winner has been favourite for some weeks, but after the JP McManus-owned Cause of Causes won at the Cheltenham Festival it did throw the cat amongst the pigeons for a while.