Racing:Tony McCoy was left stiff and sore but apparently not badly injured after a nasty fall at Plumpton this afternoon. The champion jockey looked to have landed on his shoulder and was kicked as he came off Teeming Rain in the feature At The Races Sussex National.
McCoy had to be helped into the Sussex track’s medical room after being taken off the course by ambulance, but walked slowly out of the weighing room to return home less than an hour later.
“I got kicked everywhere, to be honest, but I’ll be fine,” said McCoy.
With the cold weather biting hard, racing on turf in Britain this weekend was restricted to just the Plumpton meeting today and yesterday’s Cork meeting in Ireland.
It was a welcome respite for National Hunt enthusiasts, and conditional jockey Johnny Farrelly made the most of a suspension to David Pipe’s stable jockey Tom Scudamore to display his talents.
The 3lb claimer took the €22,500 feature on Master Overseer, who is now unbeaten in three handicaps this season, after a ding-ding duel with the favourite Tarquinius.
“With Tom suspended, it fills you with confidence when they give you the rides and I’m really grateful to the owners and Mr Pipe,” said Farrelly.
“It wasn’t a fantastic ride, I just had to keep pushing and shoving.”
Recent French purchase Notus De La Tour sparked the brace with victory in the At The Races Sky 415 Novices’ Hurdle to stake claim for the Triumph Hurdle.
Pipe said: “I was impressed with him as the second is a decent horse. We haven’t had him that long, we’ve liked him from day one and he’s confirmed it.
“They quickened up turning out of the back straight and I’m sure you’ll see lots more of him.”
In Ireland, Cork managed to stage yesterday's meeting after surviving an inspection, although racing was delayed while last minute work was carried out on the track to make sure it was safe and some trainers decided not to run.
The headline horse was Kauto Relko, a half-brother to Kauto Star and owned by Graham Roach of Viking Flagship fame.
He had won impressively last time out and inevitably there was plenty of talk about him prior to his run in the McCarthy Insurance Group Hurdle.
However, despite cutting out the running for most of the race he was a spent force when he came down at the second-last but lives to fight another day.
The race was won by Jessica Harrington’s Bostons Angel, sent off the outsider of three at 4-1.
“Bostons Angel was doing nothing the whole way around and never picked up the bit at any stage - that’s just the way he is and he won’t change,” said Harrington.