RACING:Tony McCoy believes the bookmakers are too short with their quotes about Teaforthree ahead of today's Coral Welsh National at Chepstow. The nine-year-old, who will be partnered by the champion jockey, has been well supported during the ante-post markets, and is set to be sent off a short-priced favourite.
McCoy, while confident of his chances in the 18-runner heat, told At The Races: “With the conditions as they are, it’s going to be wide open. Monbeg Dude is a horse I always thought might be suited by a real test, there’s Viking Blond, Paul’s horse Michel Le Bon – you can make cases for a lot of them.
“I’ve seen that at the moment he’s about 3-to-1 and then it’s 7-to-1 bar and I just don’t think there is that big a gap between him and the rest of them.
“Last year he was being aimed at the Hennessy and the Welsh National came as more of an after-thought but this time his season has been very much geared around the Welsh National. The extra couple of weeks after Newbury might have helped him and I hope he has got a good chance. Touch wood he jumps well and he’s a pretty handy sort.”
Staying will be the name of the game and perhaps the Jo Hughes-trained Soll will fit the bill. His former handler, Willie Mullins, felt he was good enough for a trip to the 2011 Cheltenham Festival but his bid in the National Hunt Chase ended when he was brought down at the 12th fence.
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