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McCoy thrills on Ace at Ascot

ASCOT, ENGLAND - MARCH 29:  Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales watch the racing at Ascot.
Image: Even Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall can't believe their eyes as AP McCoy snatches victory aboard Un Ace.

Racegoers at Ascot have witnessed many great rides from Tony McCoy but perhaps fittingly none better than on Un Ace in the Waitrose Novices' Handicap Chase.

The pair looked well beaten heading down the back straight as Richard Johnson shot clear on Royal Regatta.

His stride notably shortened approaching the last but he still had a sizeable advantage.

McCoy, who on Sunday was riding at Ascot for the final time, sensed an opportunity though, just as he has done for the past 21 years, and Un Ace (11/4 favourite) stayed on all the way to the line to claim a narrow victory in dramatic fashion by a short-head.

Un Ace is trained by Kim Bailey, who was honoured to give McCoy his final winner at Ascot.

"That was as good as I've seen, it was fantastic," Bailey told Racing UK.

"The horse hated the ground but I couldn't take him out on his last ride. He looked well beaten going down the back and to be fair only AP could probably have got him home.

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"The horse has been a star for us this year. Aintree is a not a place for him I don't think though we were always trying to plan a spring campaign."

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Puffin Billy provided Bailey's good friend Oliver Sherwood with a decent win in another cracking finish to the Troy Asset Management & Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Having led most of the way Cheltenham runner-up Thomas Crapper took over on jumping the last but Leighton Aspell and Puffin Bully (5/4) fought back to win by a short head.

"It was no mean feat giving the second 10lb and also to come back here after his horror fall in December," said Sherwood.

"You're never quite sure if they'll remember but we'd done a lot of schooling with him. It's all well and good if a horse has ability but they need heart, too and he's very tough.

"His jumping today was special and I'm delighted for the horse as it was an x-certificate fall.

He must have the word soft in the going and I'll mull over the summer what we'll do as he'll be rated in the 150s now.

"He was at death's door this time last season so you'd think there's still improvement in him."

Lil Rockerfeller proved another unlikely winner given the manner in which Neil King's charge was been ridden along by Trevor Whelan with fully a circuit to go in the valuable Coutts Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

As the leaders weakened, though, the 9/1 chance powered up the hill to win going away by six lengths.

"He got a bit stuck for pace early on but I kept at him and he stayed on well up the hill," said Whelan.

"He's a nice horse but he only ran last week so he's been busy. He probably wants better ground and he'll get further next year. That's my first Ascot winner and it's been a good season for me."

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