Three Mounts for McCoy at Sandown Tony McCoy may bring up his 3,000 winner at Sandown on Saturday where the champion jockey has three rides. The 34-year-old won on his only mount of the day at Wincanton on Thursday when Stradbrook prevailed in a typically driving finish to take him to 2,998 winners in Britain and Ireland. McCoy did have three booked rides at Chepstow's meeting today but unfortunately the meeting was lost to the weather following overnight rain on already heavy ground. Now the roadshow moves on to the Esher venue where the 13-times champion rides Nicky Henderson's Afrad - who has been off the track for 671 days - in the #4 million totescoop6 Handicap Hurdle. In the following race, the totesport.com Master Handicap Chase, McCoy rides Oliver Sherwood's veteran Eric's Charm and in the finale, the Totesport 0800 221 221 Handicap Chase he gets the leg up in Good Company, owned by his boss JP McManus and trained by Jonjo O'Neill. If the magic figure is not reached on Saturday, McCoy is in action at Fontwell on Sunday riding Burton Port for Henderson and Blue Teal for Henrietta Knight. Sandown's big Saturday meeting looks set to go off without a hitch. After a downbeat bulletin early in the week and a spate of jumping abandonments due to the wet weather around the country, things have picked up nicely at the Esher course. "We're OK," said clerk of the course Andrew Cooper. "I have left the ground soft but good to soft on the back straight for both courses. "It should remain dry and in terms of temperature, it was minus two overnight and we got a little bit of frost and the forecast is for about the same tonight. "There are no inspections planned and it should be fine." Sherwood is pleased to take advantage of a rare chance to use McCoy on Eric's Charm, who has put in some of his very best efforts at the course. He was eighth in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran last week and the trainer said: "It was unraceable ground in Ireland really and the only concern would be that it was a bit quick this time. "The horse thrives on racing - we have hardly put a saddle on him since last week and he has just done a bit of swimming. "He loves Sandown and I'd hope he had a big chance. "AP rode him a lot as a youngster and was second to Inglis Drever on him in a novice hurdle at Warwick a few years ago. "He is not available very often and you can't leave him on the subs bench if you've got a chance."
