McCOY AND ALBERTAS RUN TAKE RYANAIR

March 18 2010

Albertas Run puts in a mighty leap for Tony McCoy.

A bruising fall in the opening race proved no obstacle to Tony McCoy as he helped Albertas Run to show his true colours in the Ryanair Chase.

The champion jockey had been kicked on the head when falling

from Jered at the first fence in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase and was sporting a large plaster on his chin but he appears almost completely impervious to pain and shrugged the matter off as merely an inconvenience.

Albertas Run, the Jonjo O'Neill-trained winner of the 2008 RSA Chase, has struggled for consistency throughout his career but is never better than on drying ground and his abundance of stamina proved superior in the two-mile-five-furlong showpiece.

McCoy was aware of the danger posed by the speed-merchants and made sure his mount, sent off at 14-1, was not caught out for toe by forcing him into the lead at the fourth last after disputing the early pace-setting duties with Deep Purple.

Poquelin, the 11-4 favourite, emerged with a fighting chance and jockey Ruby Walsh showed no mercy to Davy Condon as he tried to sneak J'y Vole up the inside rail turning for home.

There was a brief coming-together, resulting in a four-day careless riding ban for Condon (April 1,3, 4 and 5) and although Poquelin regained momentum, Albertas Run had still more to offer and ended up four and a half lengths clear.

"I'm all right - I've just got a few stitches and I got a good kick in the back of my head," said McCoy.

"I wasn't dead and I didn't think I had broken anything. If you can get up and feel like you can give something a good ride, then you can carry on.

"Two and a half is about perfect and I'm just delighted for Trevor Hemmings (owner).

"He's not here as he's not well, he is having some problems with his foot.

"Myself and Jonjo kind of asked Trevor if we could run him in the Ryanair instead of the Gold Cup as we thought he had a good chance and Trevor, being the man he is, was all on for it.

"I'm delighted for him and I hope his foot is sore from jumping up and down!"

McCoy, now on two for the meeting after the Champion Hurdle, had to dust himself down again after another crunching fall later on from Song Of Songs.

For Albertas Run, it could now be the option of the John Smith's Grand National.

O'Neill added: "He'll go to Aintree and run in something, but that will be up to Trevor.

"AP knows what he's doing. He's a very special fellow. The horse jumped great for him and did everything right.

"He loves good ground, it helps him jump, and when he's like that he's a really good horse.

"He'd have won a King George if it hadn't been for Kauto Star, and then he'd have been a real hero."

Poquelin's owner Andy Stewart reflected: "Disappointment? No, not at all. It's horseracing, you come second, beaten by a RSA winner, and he didn't just beat us, he won it very convincingly."

J'y Vole (28-1) was beaten a nose in the battle for second but Ger O'Brien, head of the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate, her owners, said: "We've had a great week as we own Quevega and had a right touch on her (in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle).

"She jumped super and at the stage where Ruby went into a boxing match with Davy, we were definitely travelling well and up for second."

Deep Purple claimed fourth spot ahead of former winner Voy Por Ustedes with Tranquil Sea, holder of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, the most notable failure back in ninth.