McCoy sticks to his task

Tony McCoy's rodeo act aboard Westender saved the day for backers of the heavily-supported favourite after the pair survived a monumental final flight blunder to collect the £50,000 sterling Rehabilitation of Racehorses Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday.

The Martin Pipe-trained five-year-old, sent off at 11 to 8, seemed to have the prize at his mercy as he galloped clear approaching the last hurdle but he and McCoy appeared to get their wires crossed on jumping and disaster was only narrowly averted.

McCoy was almost out of the side door but somehow regained his composure before galvanising Westender back onto an even keel and driving him out for a two-length victory over former stablemate The French Furze.

And McCoy typically blamed himself for the error saying: "This was just one of those things - another A P McCoy mistake - as I got it wrong. We were going a good gallop into the hurdle and he stuck at it and nearly came down but luckily he helped me back into the saddle and then picked himself up and still won."

Pipe joked: "It was all part of the plan actually, so he wouldn't go up the handicap again! But seriously it was a miraculous recovery by both horse and jockey."

Westender earned a quote as low as 14 to 1 for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle from Coral. However, Pipe refused to be drawn on any championship tilt saying: "He's progressive but it's much too early".

Westender's win completed a memorable three-day meeting for Pipe and McCoy as they notched up seven successive winners with the high spot being Shooting Light's victory in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup on Saturday.

The combination had earlier in the afternoon initiated a 39 to 1 treble after Tarxien made it five consecutive wins when collecting the Mike Smith Benefit Year Novices' Hurdle and Seebald had landed the Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase.

The Irish were not to be outdone and there were many happy faces after the Edward O'Grady-trained Back In Front landed the bumper by the minimum margin.