McCoy off the Festival mark, respite for bookies

Tony McCoy finally got off the mark at his last Cheltenham before retirement, the jump jockey legend teaming up with Uxizandre in the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase on Thursday.
After drawing blanks on the first two days, the 19-time champion, six weeks from hanging up his boots, led from pillar to post in a typically no-holds barred display in the saddle that has helped him ride over 4,000 career winners.
Trained by Alan King, the 16-1 shot galloped gallantly up the hill to beat Ma Filleule by five lengths.
Despite the long odds McCoy was afforded a warm reception by racegoers among whom were his family who had come over especially from Northern Ireland to cheer on the master horseman.
A reflective McCoy told Channel 4: "The thrill this horse gave me, I'll miss riding horses like this, the ones that run away with you and jump like stags.
"It has to happen at some point. It's a bit sad, but we will worry about it this time next year."
He added: "It's going to affect me more next year than this year, because I am still riding. This time next year I am going to miss it - I am missing it already and I haven't stopped yet.
"He stuck at it well and it's days like this I am going to miss."
While that was McCoy's 31st Festival winner, another jockey, Gavin Sheehan, found himself celebrating his very first in the following race, the Grade 1 World Hurdle.
Like Uxizandre, Sheehan made every yard of the running on Cole Harden, who was sent off at 14-1 to give bookmakers some much needed respite after a series of knockout blows from hot favourites trained by Willie Mullins.
The Irish trainer arguably saddled the most impressive winner of the day, if not the meeting so far, when Vautour pinged around Prestbury Park to annihilate his rivals in the opening Grade 1 JLT novices' chase.
Ridden by Rugby Walsh, the 6-4 favourite recorded the widest winning margin at the meeting of 15 lengths, and looks every inch a Gold Cup prospect back at the Cotswolds track in 12 months time.
Owner Rich Ricci said: "I can't ever remember seeing a novice jump like that at Cheltenham.
"He's a different horse round here, for some reason. It was unbelievable, breathtaking, actually. We'll step up in distance next season and see where we go."
Mullins said: "I've loved this horse all the time, but I had to really work hard at him for the last three weeks.
"We were probably minding him too much earlier in the season. I thought the race was over turning for home, it was just a case of jumping, and he absolutely flew over the last two."
Friday's closing card features the showpiece of the week, the Gold Cup, with 18 runners declared, headed by Paul Nicholls' King George VI Chase winner Silviniaci Conti.
The Mullins-trianed Djakadam is the 7-1 second favourite with the last two winners of chasing's blue riband, Lord Windermere and Bobs Worth, at 12-1.
Source: AFP