Tony McCoy has been left with three rides at Ayr on Saturday following the defection of his intended mount in the Scottish Grand National on what could prove to be the multiple champion jockey’s penultimate day in the saddle.
The rider started Friday on a disappointing note when it was revealed that the trainer, Paul Nicholls, had pulled Benvolio out of the National owing to the drying ground, but was soon in familiar winning action when riding the 11-2 chance Capard King to victory.
Nicholls said: “AP and I go back a long way in [the Scottish National] as he won it for me with a brilliantly aggressive ride from the front on Belmont King back in 1997. Now the chance of a repeat has gone as I scratched Benvolio from the race this morning because the ground looks like being far too quick for him.
“I was a bit concerned when I read yesterday that they were watering the track at Ayr. And when I spoke to the course this morning they confirmed that it was drying out very quickly.
“Benvolio needs soft ground. It is obviously not going to be anything like that. So it made sense to withdraw him before 9am this morning so that the first reserve Vintage Star could take his place.”
McCoy said at Cheltenham on Thursday that Saturday may well be his final day’s racing before he retires at Sandown next weekend.
