Champion jockey AP McCoy travelled to Fakenham yesterday for just one ride only to take a crashing fall at the final fence in the feature race.
'You can't win if they don't jump,' said McCoy, as he limped into the weighing room in the famous JP McManus green and gold colours on which he rode his 4,000th career winner just a few days ago at Towcester.
The Jonjo O'Neill-trained Dursey Sound was sent off favourite, but was up against it as Malcolm Jefferson's King Of The Wolds, under Brian Hughes, cut out a strong pace.
Approaching the last of 16 fences, McCoy asked his mount for a big effort, but Dursey Sound failed to respond and McCoy suffered a horrific-looking fall from which he limped away with what appeared an injury to his right leg.
King Of The Wolds was returned 5/4 winner with outsider Flichity second in the five-runner chase worth more than £7,000 to the winner.
There were only 29 horses for the six-race card.
'We are very disappointed to have so few runners. It's a little frustrating as the prize-money is good and we try to put on good meetings,' said Fakenham chief executive David Hunter.
Many times runner-up to McCoy in the jockey's championship, Richard Johnson, produced the ride of the day to get the Tim Vaughan-trained Safferano home at 7/4 in the Geoffrey Hewetson Memorial Hurdle. The six-hour drive in a horsebox from Wales was rewarded when Safferano got the better of fellow 7/4 joint favourite Burns Night to win by half a length.
The opener saw a disappointing run from favourite Tribal Dance which left 10/1 shot Ruby Valentine to take the spoils under Liam Treadwell for Cheltenham-based trainer Jim Wilson, with Fakenham regular Monroe Park runner-up at 25/1.
Just three mares contested the three-mile chase and when Midnight Macarena fell at the second of 18 fences it was left for the other two to battle it out. They did and 11/10 favourite Tea Caddy, under Tom O'Brien for trainer Jamie Snowden, was too strong for A Little Swifter and won by five lengths.
Neil King's Persian Herald pulled off an amazing win in the hurdle race. A winner at Leicester 24 hours earlier, Persian Herald went off in front under Trevor Whelan but looked well beaten when headed a mile out. However, the five-year-old, returned at 2/1, responded superbly and pulled clear of 7/4 favourite Watt Broderick to win by five lengths.
The four-runner finale over hurdles went to Carobello for trainer Martin Bosley and jockey Nico de Boinville, returned at 3/1.
- For more photos from the Fakenham meeting, see the photo gallery at the top-right of this page.
Results
1.00 — 1 Ruby Valentine (FR) (L Treadwell) 10-1, 2 Monroe Park (IRE) 25-1, 3 Pennant Dancer 16-1. Evens Fav Tribal Dance (IRE). 7 ran. 6l, 7l, 12l. A J Wilson. 1.30 — 1 Tea Caddy (T J O'Brien) 11-10 Fav, 2 A Little Swifter (IRE) 4-1. 3 ran. 5l. Jamie Snowden. Non Runner: Epee Celeste. 2.00 — 1 Persian Herald (Trevor Whelan) 2-1, 2 Watt Broderick (IRE) 7-4 Fav, 3 Volcanic Jack (IRE) 14-1. 5 ran. 3l, 10l. N B King. Non Runners: Pinotage, Waving. 2.30 — 1 King Of The Wolds (IRE) (B Hughes) 5-4, 2 Flichity (IRE) 100-1, 3 Hunting Tower 8-1. 10-11 Fav Dursey Sound (IRE). 5 ran. 64l, 20l. J M Jefferson. 3.00 — 1 Safferano (IRE) (R Johnson) 7-4 Jt Fav, 2 Burns Night 7-4 Jt Fav, 3 Killegney 20-1. 5 ran. ½l, 1½l, 13l. Tim Vaughan. Non Runner: Brass Monkey. 3.30 — 1 Carobello (IRE) (Nico de Boinville) 3-1, 2 Full Ov Beans 11-4, 3 Fitandproperjob 11-10 Fav. 4 ran. 3l, ½l, 38l. M R Bosley..
•Placepot: £810.70.
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