SANDOWN SATURDAY

NO doubt many in the huge, sell-out Sandown crowd were willing on A.P. McCoy in the Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase which carried his name, but his mount Mr Mole was allowed to start at 4/1 and could finish only a creditable third behind Special Tiara and Sprinter Sacre.

This was a popular triumph for trainer Henry de Bromhead because Special Tiara has taken on the best and thoroughly deserved a victory at the highest level.

An underrated horse who finished an excellent third in the Queen Mother Champion Chase but has sometimes made costly errors, he made no mistake here, taking over again for Noel Fehily at the sixth and going clear to beat Sprinter Sacre by six lengths.

That third at Cheltenham made him the form horse and he was sent off at 3/1 favourite.

It is now perfectly clear that Sprinter Sacre will never be the force of old after his minor heart problem but that should take nothing away from the winner, who could even afford an exuberant leap at the last, clearing it with daylight to spare, before galloping on up the hill.

“I was surprised how easy he was going,” de Bromhead said. “He came up to the last full of running. We made the right decision to come here, rather than wait for Punchestown. If Sprinter Sacre came back to his best you’d always fear him but it worked out well. It’s great to get one on such an amazing day.”

Fehily was making it three Grade 1 wins in April and has had another excellent campaign.

“The course really suited Special Tiara,” he smiled. “You never know whether you’re going to beat A.P. until you go past the line but I heard him slapping along and was pretty hopeful. It’s the last time I’m going to ride against him. He’s been a great jockey and a great champion.”

It was after winning on Mr Mole at Newbury that McCoy announced his coming retirement. Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old again ran well to be beaten under 10 lengths but would have been happier with more cut in the ground.

MENORAH ON SONG

Richard Johnson is warm favourite to win the jockeys’ title this season and Philip Hobbs will be right behind him - as will many other trainers.

Menorah, 11/4 favourite, came right back to his best after a disappointing run at Aintree, beating Al Ferof by just over a length in the Listed bet365 Oaksey Chase, while 9/1 chance Brother Tedd, also ridden by Johnson, had rather more to spare over Gran Maestro in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle.

“I don’t know what was wrong with Menorah at Aintree,” Hobbs said. “He’ll have the summer off and his target early next season will be the Charlie Hall at Wetherby.”