Victoria Pendleton gets backing from Tony McCoy
Tuesday 23 February 2016 10:49, UK
Jumping legend Sir Anthony McCoy has backed former Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton's bid to ride at Cheltenham next month.
Pendleton's hopes of riding in the Foxhunters Chase at the Festival in March suffered a blow when she was unseated when making her racecourse debut at Fakenham on Friday.
Former champion jockey John Francome reacted by branding Pendleton, who 12 months ago had never even sat on a horse, as "an accident waiting to happen" and suggested "she wants saving from herself".
However, McCoy, who rode a record 4,358 winners and was champion jockey a record 20 consecutive times, disagrees.
"I don't think anyone will let her take part if they feel she's not ready for it," McCoy told Sky Sports News HQ.
"I think she was a little bit unlucky at Fakenham to get the fall that she did, she's had about eight, nine or 10 riding point-to-points and she's managed to get round. There's no doubt a little bit more time would do her no harm.
"I know John Francome said he thought she was a danger to herself, but I've seen a lot more people more incompetent than Victoria Pendleton is."
Pendleton returned to the saddle on Sunday to ride in a point point-to-point race in Suffolk and finished last of six runners.
The 35-year-old admitted afterwards that she could be forced to delay her dream of riding at one of the biggest race meetings of the calendar, but insisted she does not plan on quitting the saddle altogether.
'If I'm not ready, I'm not ready. Ultimately there are a group of experts behind me and I will trust their judgement 100 per cent and if it's not meant to be this year then it's not meant to be," Pendleton told the Racing Post.
"It makes no odds if I do it again another time and I'd like to see anyone else give it a go and get this far. Whatever happens I'll continue pointing as I really enjoy it and I even started designing my own silks the other day."
