RACING: Champion jockey Tony McCoy continued his remarkable winning run with a 36 to 1 treble at Taunton yesterday. McCoy, who is chasing Gordon Richards' record of 269 winners in a season, is now on 223 winners for this campaign.
He took the opening race, division one of the Ideal Wedding Reception Novices' Hurdle, on 4 to 6 favourite Gone Far for trainer Martin Pipe before following up in division two on Pipe's Dubai Seven Stars at 5 to 1.
Ron Hodges provided McCoy's final winner of the day when he lifted the Taunton Racecourse Exhibition Centre Handicap Hurdle on Tosawi, the 11 to 4 favourite.
Another jockey in hat-trick form was Martin Dwyer, who rode a near 222 to 1 treble on the all-weather track at Southwell.
Johannesburg, the champion juvenile in the International Classifications, has also topped the 2001 American Experimental Free Handicap. The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt earned the accolade after maintaining his unbeaten record in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last October. He was assigned a mark of 126lb, 3lb above Siphonic.
