Racing: Pinch starts McCoy squeeze on bookies

TONY McCOY rode a 45-1 treble at Uttoxeter yesterday, taking his total this season to 145. The trio of winners began when Tom Pinch romped home by 12 lengths in the selling handicap chase after being backed from 5-2 down to 7-4 favourite.

McCoy then took the novice handicap chase on Specialize - but the 13- 2 chance can be counted as fortunate. The seven-year-old was three lengths down in second place when the leader, I'm Maggy, hit the penultimate fence, slipped as she tried to recover on landing, and fell.

That left Specialize well clear to win by 15 lengths. McCoy enjoyed another wide-margin success in the closing maiden hurdle on Orsuno, who was also heavily supported. The Middleham trainer Micky Hammond made the trip from North Yorkshire to see the gelding open his account.

Windsor racecourse officials are optimistic that their meeting on Monday will go ahead. The soggy ground near the winning post, which caused abandonment of their fixture scheduled for the opening day of the turf Flat season last month, is now raceable.

Aljabr heads the field when Godolphin hold their second private trial for the Kentucky Derby at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai tomorrow. The colt, who finished second to Worldly Manner in the first trial last month, will face up to five other horses over nine-furlongs. But Worldly Manner will be absent as he is due to go straight to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on 1 May.