Tony McCoy, the legendary 20-time champion jockey who retired last year, believes his final Grand National mount Shutthefrontdoor can win the 2016 running of the world’s greatest steeplechase at Aintree on Saturday April 9.
Now known as Sir Anthony McCoy, the Northern Irishman announced in February 2015 that he was ending his riding career and hoped to bow out with a second Grand National victory aboard Shutthefrontdoor but could finish only fifth behind winner Many Clouds.
Although McCoy will not be taking part in the 2016 Aintree Grand National, that is the target again for Shutthefrontdoor whose only subsequent race so far came in a three-mile hurdle at the Merseyside course last November in which he was third.
Shutthefrontdoor, allotted 10st 11lb in the weights, is trained by Jonjo O’Neill, who provided McCoy’s only Grand National winner, Don’t Push It, in 2010 and the former jockey likes the chances of both his 2015 mount and another contender from the same yard.
The 41-year-old said:
“I think Shutthefrontdoor will run a big race. I also like Holywell – if he is in the right frame of mind he is a very capable horse. He hasn’t shown it yet this season, but that is the time of year when he shows it. He could perform well in the Grand National.”
Trainer O’Neill wants more match practice for Shutthefrontdoor before the big day and has advised punters not to take the recent form of Holywell, who has been given 10st 12lb in the weights, at face value.
He said:
“I’d like to get another run into Shutthefrontdoor before the National. He is qualified for the Pertemps Hurdle Final at Cheltenham but it would have to be nice ground for him to run in that.
“He didn’t get the trip in the Grand National last year. But it’s a year on, he’s a year older and stronger. He ran a little bit free last year. Hopefully he will relax a little bit more.
“You can draw a line through Holywell’s last run at Doncaster. He’s always been a monkey. They went off at a million miles an hour, he got left behind and said ‘no thank you’.”
