Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Mccoy: I D’air to dream
TONY MCCOY would love to wear the green and gold silks again as Buveur D’air attempts to win a third successive Champion
Hurdle next week.
But, given a single ride at the Cheltenham Festival, the legend would get up on odds-on favourite Altior in the Champion Chase.
Mccoy, who retired from the saddle after becoming champion jockey for the 20th consecutive time in 2015, is in awe of Nicky Henderson’s star two mile chaser.
He told the Irish Mirror: “Buveur D’air is going for a third Champion Hurdle and I’d love to be able to ride a horse like him.
“But Altior has won 17 out of 17 over obstacles and looks a genuine jumping superstar.
“And if I could ride one horse at the moment it would probably be him.”
The Antrim man will be busy on media duties throughout the week but admits the Festival isn’t the same from the sidelines.
“It’s very different to how it used to make me feel. I went there with huge anticipation and excitement – I couldn’t wait for it.
“Is it the same? Not really, but I still think in terms of our sport that it is the greatest highlight of the whole calendar year.
“So I’m looking forward to it and I’m very lucky that I’m still involved.”
The Festival for the jockeys is all about the glory of winning at the home of jumps racing but for the millions of punters watching the action it can be about winning a few extra quid.
And asked for a outsider for punters to follow next week, Mccoy had one horse in mind.
The former champion jockey said: “Gordon Elliott has a very strong hand going to Cheltenham.
“A race he would like to win outside of the Championship races is the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s race who he used to work for. He has two horses in there, Dallas Des Pictons is the favourite, but at a bigger price Cartwright has a good chance.”