McCoy “very likely” to ride Shutthefrontdoor in National
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Champion jockey AP McCoy revealed today that it is “very likely” he will partner Coral’s current 8/1 favourite Shutthefrontdoor rather than Cause Of Causes in the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree.
It will be the last every ride in the big race for McCoy, and he will retire immediately if successful on Saturday, April 11th.
If not then the soon-to-be crowned 20-times champ will bow out on the final day of National Hunt season at Sandown on April 25th, having ruled out riding at the Punchestown Festival.
Speaking recently, McCoy said: “I’m very likely to ride Shutthefrontdoor but I won’t commit finally until close to declaration time – there is plenty of time yet for something to go wrong.
“I’m not sure he should be such a short price, and it’s a long time since he ran, but something would have to happen for me to switch from him.
“His trainer has a fantastic record with staying chasers and the horse is obviously in good form. I rode him round a circuit of Southwell last week and he jumped very well.
“If I don’t win it, I’ll go on until Sandown. It’s the end of the British season and they have been good enough to name a race after me.
“I did have some thoughts about Punchestown, the following week, but I definitely won’t be riding there. If I did that, I might just as well carry on and I won’t be doing that.”
Shutthefrontdoor won last year’s Irish Grand National when ridden by Barry Gerraghty and has had only one outing this term, winning a graduation chase at Carlisle in November.
The gelding has been laid out for the race by trainer Jonjo O’Neill, and the Jackdaws Castle handler provided McCoy with his sole victory in the National when saddling Don’t Push It to success in 2010.
Like Shutthefrontdoor, that horse was owned by JP McManus who also has another live contender for this year’s renewal in the shape of Cause Of Causes.
Cause Of Causes won the 4m National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and is 20/1 with Coral for the Grand National.
