McCoy's Five at Carlisle

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Tony McCoy made good headway towards securing 4,000 winners over jumps by riding a stunning five-timer at Carlisle.

In doing so, the perennial champion jockey sailed past 100 victories for the season. McCoy now needs just 16 winners to set yet another record in a truly remarkable career.

His first four winners came in the green and gold silks of his boss, JP McManus, with three of the horses trained by Jonjo O’Neill at Jackdaws Castle in Gloucestershire.

McCoy gave O’Neill’s Milan Bound a patient ride in the opening starsportsbet.co.uk Novices’ Hurdle at Carlisle to bring up his century for the season, before following up on board Pendra, Upswing and Finding Your Feet.

The Charlie Longsdon-trained Pendra finished second in the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle last season and locked horns with a similarly smart prospect in Nicky Richards’ Eduard in the Call Star Sports On 08000 521 321 Beginners’ Chase.

The race was just hotting up at the second-last as Eduard was still on the bridle when he made a slight error which handed the initiative to the 4-5 favourite, who coasted home by three and three-quarter lengths.

“I only watched the race on the TV, but it looked to me as if Eduard was still going just as well as us when he made the mistake,” said Longsdon. “I’ve got to be very happy, he jumped well considering we hadn’t been able to school him on grass and he didn’t really have a race. His jumping will no doubt get slicker and that is part of the reason we ran him over two miles.

“We may stick over two for his next run, I’ll have to see what AP says. There’s plenty of room for improvement, obviously, but it was a pleasing introduction for him.

“Sometimes you might want them to have a race as they learn more and there is no doubt the first two are smart. Don’t forget Eduard had a higher rating over hurdles than us.”

When told Pendra had been given a quote of 16/1 for the Jewson Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, Longsdon said: “He’s not quick enough for an Arkle, he’s bred for three miles. The Jewson would probably be right at this stage unless AP tells me something wildly different.”

Pendra was win number 101 for the season after Milan Bound had earlier brought up McCoy’s ton.

The 6-4 chance did not jump all that fluently but drew level with runner-up Fayette County and Blakemount at the final flight and came away from the former by half a length.

Upswing barely came off the bridle in the Star Sports Follow Us On Twitter @star-sportsbet Intermediate Handicap Hurdle.

Racing off a 6lb higher mark than when victorious over course and distance in March, the five-year-old travelled through the race with ease.

Coverholder gamely attempted to make all of the running, but McCoy hardly moved on Upswing (7-4 favourite), who jumped into the lead at the last and won by a cosy three-quarters of a length.

Finding Your Feet (6-4 favourite) was by far the most fortunate of McCoy’s winners as Dickie Henderhoop fell at the last when clear in the first division of the Star Sports-sponsored two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.

McCoy, who jumped the last in third, sensed his opportunity and his mount stayed on strongly to beat Rocking Blues by four lengths.

Tutchec (3-1 joint-favourite) then made just about every yard of the running under McCoy to take the Star Sports Be Polite Handicap Chase for trainer Nicky Richards, who had earlier hit the target with the Brian Harding-ridden Moufatango (5-1).

Carrigdhoun (10-1) won the feature Star Sports Trader Betiquette Handicap Chase for trainer Maurice Barnes and jockey Stephen Mulqueen, whose partner gamely held off the veteran Vic Venturi by three-quarters of a length.

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AP Will Never forget Synchronised

AP McCoy says he will never forget Synchronised, the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner who died in the Grand National. The champion jockey has been deeply affected by the 14 April race in which his mount and another horse, According To Pete, suffered fatal injuries.

Sad Day at Jackdaws Castle

It is a sad morning for the connections of Synchronised, who was briefly loose before the start of the National before being caught and reunited with his jockey, Tony McCoy.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup hero then took a crashing fall at Becher's Brook and despite getting up and running away, later had to be humanely destroyed.

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said: "It's just of those things. The horse looked perfect when he got up from the fall and he galloped away and jumped away afterwards.

"When he was up and running again you'd be hoping he'd be fine afterwards, they usually are, but what happened happened and it was very sad.

"It's a sad day, particularly for everyone in Jackdaws (Castle, O'Neill's yard).

"He was always a popular horse in the yard, even before he won the Gold Cup. I don't want to say much more about it, it's just very sad."

Berry was delighted with the run of Sunnyhillboy and hopes he can return in a year's time.

He said: "He got a great ride from Richie (McLernon) and jumped great. He looked like he'd get there and the other horse basically outstayed him.

"It was just on the nod and one of things, you'd be hoping he might be back there for another crack next year."

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Synchronised Set for Smith's National

Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Synchronised is one of 59 that remain in the John Smith's Grand National after Tuesday's scratchings stage.

Jonjo O'Neill's charge is rated 8/1 favourite to become the first horse since Golden Miller in 1934 to win chasing's two biggest prizes in the same season.

"He's been left in but we'll wait until nearer the time before we make any decisions," said Frank Berry, racing manager for owner JP McManus.

"He was tired for a day or two after Cheltenham, which you would expect as it was a marvellous performance.

"But Jonjo is pleased with him now and we'll wait a week or two before we decide what to do."

The same owner and trainer won the National with Don't Push It in 2010 and could have another leading hope in Sunnyhillboy, who was also a winner at Cheltenham last week in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup.

"He's also come out of the race good. He's in the National and the Irish National and he'll probably run in one of those. Nothing is set in stone yet," Berry added.

The weights continue to be headed by Synchronised on 11st 10lb, with last year's Grand National hero, Ballabriggs, 1lb behind on 11st 9lb.

Betfred make Prince De Beauchene the 9/1 second favourite for the race and he is one of six remaining entries from Willie Mullins' stable and one of 23 Irish-trained entries still in the race.

On His Own, winner of the Thyestes Chase for owners Graham and Andrea Wylie and Cheltenham Gold Cup ninth The Midnight Club are among Mullins' other entries.

Other Irish-trained contenders include the progressive Seabass, trained like the 2000 winner Papillon by Ted Walsh, and the 2011 Irish Grand National hero Organisedconfusion, the likely mount of Nina Carberry.

The Gold Cup form is also represented by fourth-placed Burton Port, Midnight Chase, who came seventh, and Weird Al, who was pulled up on Friday.

Malton trainer Malcolm Jefferson saddled a double at last week's Cheltenham Festival and he paraded his National hope According To Pete, winner of the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January, at Aintree today.

Other leading contenders include the David Pipe-trained Junior, winner of the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2010 and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival, who is a 10/1 chance with Betfred after being beaten a short-head in a Doncaster handicap chase on March 3.

The Alan King-trained West End Rocker has not run since winning the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase over the National fences at Aintree on December 3 and is 16/1 with Betfred for the big race.

Philip Hobbs has withdrawn Fair Along but intends to run Planet Of Sound.

"Fair Along will probably run in the Scottish National instead. Planet Of Sound will definitely run providing everything goes all right," the Minehead trainer told At The Races.

Others among the 18 withdrawals were Massini's Maguire, Hold On Julio, Niche Market, Stewarts House and Backstage.

The five-day confirmation stage for the Grand National is on April 9 with the final declaration stage at 10am on April 12 when there can be a maximum field of 40 runners, with the provision for up to four reserves.

The two other races over the Grand National fences, the John Smith's Fox Hunters' Chase and the John Smith's Topham Chase, close on March 27.

JP AP and Jonjo Synchronised Gold

Tony McCoy survived interference on the bend to win the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle on Alderwood on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

It was the champion jockey's first win of the meeting but his chance might've gone rounding the home turn when he was squeezed for room on the rail, losing momentum.

However, McCoy got a nice tune out of the winner on the far side up the hill, the pair three-quarters-of-a-length clear of Edgardo Sol at the line.

Sailors Warn looked a real danger up the stands' rail jumping the last but he had to settle for third with Gordon Elliott's Plan A fourth.

Via Galilei was fifth for Gary and Jamie Moore.

McCoy said: "It's great to have a winner at last. "I rode him the last day (at Leopardstown) and he was going well until the second-last but then didn't finish as well as I'd have liked.

"I think he's had a fibrillating heart problem.

"He got murdered on the bottom bend but he was 20-1 so I was taking a few chances and hopefully he would keep going.

"It's great to ride a winner for my boss."

Trainer Thomas Mullins added: "It's great to have a winner here at last, what with my father and two brothers already on the list.

"Things didn't quite work out for him the last day but he had been working very well at home.

"He got absolutely hammered on the home turn but it makes a difference having the right man on board and he really is the 'Real McCoy'.

"It's such a delight having him on board and the owner, JP, is such a nice man."

Henderson Hopeful About Riverside

Nicky Henderson is hopeful that being patient with Riverside Theatre will pay dividends in Thursday's Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

The eight-year-old was a leading contender for the race last season only to be ruled out by a hairline fracture of his pelvis, an injury that kept him on the sidelines until last month.

Riverside Theatre made a victorious return to action when landing the Ascot Chase, and Henderson believes the two-mile-five-furlong trip is his optimum.

He said: "This is Riverside Theatre's trip, as he proved at Ascot, and we've been trying to get him here for two years.

"He had been off a long time and there wouldn't be a huge amount of improvement in him, but you'd think that there wouldn't need to be."

Albertas Run has won the race for the last two years and will bid for a hat-trick for trainer Jonjo O'Neill.

He held off the reopposing Kalahari King and Rubi Light in a thrilling finish in 2011, but has raced just once this term.

Although he won at Aintree back in October, big-race rider Tony McCoy admits Albertas Run has not been an easy ride to the Festival.

"He's 11 now and has been plenty hard to get right but Jonjo seems happy with him," he said.

"I hope he'll run very well but it's an open race.

"Noble Prince would have a bit more speed and the dry ground will help but Albertas Run is probably a little better stayer."

O'Neill added: "It has been slow progress with him since his last run but fingers crossed it's all gone according to plan.

"It just seems to be the right trip and AP gets on really well with him.

"He's come back from the dead, but hopefully he'll run well again."

Kalahari King has endured a similarly troubled campaign with just two outings this year.

The 11-year-old sustained a leg injury when pulled up behind Master Minded at Ascot last November but proved his wellbeing with a racecourse gallop at Doncaster at the start of the month.