TONY McCOY is likely to be on board Finger Onthe Pulse when he attempts to win the feature race named after him at Cheltenham this Saturday, writes Brian O’Connor.
The British champion jockey had been expected to team up with the Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Dancing Tornado in the Vote AP Gold Cup, a race titled to encourage support for McCoy in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award.
However, Dancing Tornado was ruled out of the race yesterday after trainer Michael Hourigan wasn’t happy with the horse yesterday morning.
“He was supposed to travel but the trainer wasn’t completely happy with him so that’s now out,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus who has two other entries in the race.
“Sunnyhillboy will probably be too light for Tony so he will probably end up on Finger Onthe Pulse who has travelled over,” Berry added.
Finger Onthe Pulse was a 2007 Cheltenham Festival winner over the course and distance of Saturday’s feature event and landed the Galway Plate for McCoy and McManus during the summer.
Gordon Elliott runs Carlito Brigante, Chicago Grey and Toner D’Oudairies at Cheltenham this weekend and has moved 12 of his string to Dundalk racecourse after his own Co Meath base was frozen over. “I took the decision at the start of this week to move my best horses to Dundalk and take advantage of the all-weather facility. We will be camped here until the weather breaks.”
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