Tony McCoy dominated Hennessy day with his stature and strength, riding four winners for Nicky Henderson that might normally have reverted to the stable jockey. Now, he stands by for the ride that every jockey would covet as Paul Nicholls faces the dilemma of replacing a suddenly stricken Sam Thomas on the majestic Master Minded.
Thomas, for whom nothing could go wrong a year ago, left Newbury on Saturday evening in rare distress after the indignity of being unseated from another high-profile favourite, Big Buck’s, a week after suffering the same fate on Kauto Star. Perhaps indicatively, he gave up his rides at Leicester yesterday. Nicholls, deprived of Ruby Walsh until at least Christmas, is now confronting the most delicate challenge of his brilliant training