RACING: Tony McCoy regained the lead in the race for the jump jockeys' title with a treble at Hereford yesterday. The champion is now two ahead of Richard Johnson, 118-116, after trailing his arch rival by one at the start of the day.
McCoy struck on Eric's Charm (4 to 7) for Oliver Sherwood in the opening Tripleprint Novices' Hurdle, Magical Day (4 to 1) for Bill Turner in the Bonusfilm Selling Hurdle, and Graphic Approach (5 to 4) for Charlie Egerton in the Bonusprint Standard Open NH Flat Race.
Johnson drew a blank from his two mounts after switching to Hereford when Newton Abbot was abandoned due to waterlogging.
Paul Nicholls admitted yesterday that he cannot choose between his three runners in the £100,000 William Hill - Tingle Creek Trophy at Sandown on Saturday. The Ditcheat trainer is mob-handed with Azertyuiop, Cenkos and Le Roi Miguel in Saturday's Grade One contest. "They are three nice horses. It's a job to split them, really," he said yesterday.
Azertyuiop was last season's leading two-mile novice chaser, winning the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March. However, the seven-year-old fell at the first fence on his seasonal debut at Exeter a month ago.
Since then Nicholls has been trying to get as much work into him as possible to have him razor-sharp for what looks a rehearsal for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Ruby Walsh, who rides Azertyuiop on Saturday, schooled the horse yesterday morning at Nicholls' stables. "He jumped very well and I couldn't have been more pleased with him," said Nicholls.
"Ruby's going to ride him, Mick Fitzgerald rides Le Roi Miguel and we've still to sort out Cenkos."
Walsh suffered a slight setback later in the day when he cut his lip in a fall from Whitford Don at Hereford. He gave up his remaining rides after the wound needed a stitch.
Nicholls went on: "It would have helped had Azertyuiop had a run this season, but he seems very well. We've done lots of work with him. "He's going to have a strong gallop tomorrow and Thursday morning. Hopefully he'll be all right, but he hasn't had the benefit of that run.
"Cenkos loves it round Sandown and Le Roi Miguel ran very well at Ascot the other day." Cenkos won the Tingle Creek last December, while Le Roi Miguel made a pleasing reappearance when failing by just a length and three-quarters to give 20lb to Iris Royal in the First National Gold Cup at Ascot.
There were no further entries for the race after it was re-opened until yesterday morning, leaving the original seven. Champion two-mile chaser Moscow Flyer will be bidding to make amends for an unlucky exit last year. He unseated Barry Geraghty when hampered by Flagship Uberalles just after the fifth fence. Trained by Jessica Harrington, he has already showed his well-being this term by making a successful reappearance at Navan.
