Right decision for McCoy

Champion jockey Tony McCoy stole the show at Haydock Park this afternoon.

His dash North after Cheltenham had been frozen off in the morning paid dividends with a narrow victory on the heavily-backed 5-4 favourite Legal Right in the Tommy Whittle Chase.

McCoy`s mount, the subject of a string of hefty bets, the largest being £11,000-£8,000, just outspeeded Kingsmark, ridden by another jockey who had switched from Cheltenham, Mick Fitzgerald, and the pair treated the Haydock crowd to a vintage finish.

'I feel sorry for Liam Cooper, as he was due to ride Legal Right,' said McCoy. 'But I`m glad I`ve got something out of the day as I was due to ride five favourites at Cheltenham so I was a bit upset when that was called off.

'Legal Right is a class horse and has so much speed for a three miler that I knew once I had jumped the last fence that we would have too much foot for anything else.

'Three miles on a flat track like Haydock is ideal for him but I don`t think he would stay the distance of the Cheltenham Gold Cup as he has so much pace.'

The first thing that trainer Jonjo O`Neill did when the eight-year-old came into the winner`s enclosure was to check Legal Right`s legs as they have been such a problem over the years.

'This is the best I`ve ever seen him immediately after a race as his legs are so fragile but we will get a better idea in the next two or three days how he has stood up to this race,' O`Neill said.

'All being well he will go for the King George on Boxing Day as I also think that three miles is his limit.'

Legal Right is 12-1 from 20-1 with bookmakers Paddy Power for the Kempton highlight as he aims to build on a chasing career record which has seen him win seven out of 13 races.

O`Neill was completing a short priced double as 1-2 favourite Miros, also heavily backed had earlier taken Harry Haydock Novices` Hurdle in the hands of Liam Cooper.

Tony Dobbin, also originally scheduled to ride at Cheltenham, made his trip worthwhile with a half length win on Telemoss in the Tote Placepot Handicap Hurdle.

Mary Reveley was politely asked by the stewards to explain how Carrick Troop had pulled off a 25-1 shock in the Stanley Racing Handicap Chase although they stressed it wasn`t an official enquiry.

Mrs Reveley told them that she owed the win to her son Keith who persuaded her to drop the horse back in distance to two miles even though it had won over three miles, three furlongs as a novice.