Champion jockey AP McCoy is aiming for a Betfair Gold Cup win following his victory in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday.
SEE ALSO:
Cheltenham Festival preview: Your guide to Britain’s second-richest horse racing event
BBC presenter John Inverdale apologises following shocking X-rated slip of tongue at Cheltenham Festival
(Video) Cheltenham Festival 2015: Annie Power fall saves bookmakers £100 million!
McCoy, who will retire at the end of the racing season, will ride Carlingford Lough in day four’s feature race and says nothing would make him more happy than to win the Gold Cup for the third time.
“Nothing would give me a greater thrill than carrying J P’s colours to another Betfred Gold Cup triumph aboard Carlingford Lough,” McCoy wrote in a column for The Times.
“This is the highlight of the year, a fantastic race that I’ve been lucky enough to win twice through Mr Mulligan and Synchronised.
Carlingford Lough is similar to Synchronised in that he’s better running at horses. He’s never stopped improving and was better than ever when winning at Leopardstown.
One slight negative is that he did not jump well here last year, but that was on the other track and, hopefully, he will be better on this one.
“Silviniaco Conti has the best form and the forecast rain will also play into his hands. Holywell has got a good chance, too, but would not want the ground to soften.”
McCoy picked up his first win of the 2015 Cheltenham Festival Uxizandre in the Betfair Chase yesterday, but said he couldn’t take too much credit for the victory.
“I was concerned that he was running and jumping too quickly — for the first mile and a half I was thinking I would loved to have ridden him in the Champion Chase the previous day — but Alan King had him spot-on and he kept galloping all the way,” McCoy wrote.
“Riding winners like him is easy and I take no credit.”
McCoy will ride aboard Carlingford Lough in the Gold Cup at 3.20pm.
COMMENTS