NICKY RICHARDS will turn to either Richard Johnson or Dougie Costello to partner Monet’s Garden in tomorrow’s totescoop6 Old Roan Chase at Aintree.
The veteran grey is bidding for a hat-trick of wins in the Grade Two contest following his second win at Aintree 12 months ago.
The 12-year-old has won four times from eight starts at the Merseyside track and has also been placed on a further two occasions.
He beat Kauto Star in the 2m4f contest in 2007, and was his old self when winning under Barry Geraghty last year.
Richards had expected Geraghty to renew the partnership, but he has instead been snapped up to ride the Paul Nicholls-trained Poquelin in the Aintree feature.
Depending on which jockey is available Richards will give the ride to either Johnson or Costello.
Johnson was aboard the flying grey when he was third to another of tomorrow’s rivals, Albertas Run, in the John Smith’s Melling Chase back in April.
Richards said: “If Richard Johnson comes to Aintree he’ll ride him again but if he goes to Chepstow, it will be Dougie Costello.
“Everything is grand with the horse and we’ve had no problems with him, so we’re looking forward to it.”
One jockey who will be at Aintree is Tony McCoy, who notched up his 100th winner of the season at Ludlow yesterday afternoon.
McCoy was aboard Albertas Run when he won at Aintree in April before the champion jockey finally landed a first John Smith’s Grand National win on Don’t Push It 24 hours later.
He will make a welcome return to Merseyside this weekend and as usual comes in fine form and already eyeing a double century having clocked up 100 yesterday.
McCoy notched up a 99th victory on Al Dafa in the opening race at Ludlow yesterday and in the fourth race, the Ludlow Racecourse Supports Racing Welfare Handicap Hurdle, he added another on Skye But N Ben.
The champion jockey won his 15th straight title last year to add his National win and despite bringing up another century of winners he is determined to reach 200.
McCoy is the 5-4 favourite with Paddy Power to land the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, but as always he is driven on to hit greater heights.
He said: “Things have been a bit slow the past six weeks or so, that’s why I have probably taken so long to get there.
“It is always nice to ride 100 winners but it’s obviously nicer to ride 200 and that is my intention before the end of this season.”
TODAY’S NAP: Red Roar (3.30pm Ayr).
