Fontwell review: Fit-again McCoy rules out landmark

A review of Wednesday's action at Fontwell as Tony McCoy returned to action with victory aboard Southfield Royale.

Tony McCoy wasted no time in getting back amongst the winners after a three-week lay-off with victory on Southfield Royale at Fontwell.

However, despite taking his tally for the season to 153 on his only ride of the day, the 19-times champion jockey believes the dream of reaching 300 winners by the end of the campaign is out of the question.

McCoy showed no rustiness nor lack of fitness after recovering from rib and shoulder injuries as he gave the Neil Mulholland-trained four-year-old a typically strong ride to land in the Free Tips At raceclear.co.uk Novices' Hurdle.

Coologue, the 1/2 favourite, looked to be going well for Noel Fehily, but McCoy asked his mount for extra and Southfield Royale (2/1) obliged to score by two and a half lengths.

"You can't afford to miss any days and it's impossible to ride 300 winners now. You've got to accept the fact," said McCoy.

"You've just got to ride as many as you can and hopefully some good ones along the way.

"I'm very lucky, I've had a lot of good people looking after me.

"I was slightly worried about the ground (for this horse) as he won his bumper at Market Rasen on better ground, but he's a good type and Neil's done well.

"He said the more he jumped at home, the better he was.

"He jumped pretty well for a horse first time and you'd have to like him."

Mulholland told At The Races: "We've always thought a lot of him (Southfield Royale).

"He's very well bred and thankfully he's done what we were hoping he would do.

"It looked like a two-horse race and it looked like a good place to start.

"We wanted to find out and learn a little bit about him and it's paid off.

"Having his first run over hurdles, we wanted to be as good a confidence booster as possible. We won't rush him."

Mulholland completed a double when Ballydague Lady (4/6 favourite) landed the odds in the raceclear.co.uk Making Bookies Tremble Conditional Jockeys' Training Series Handicap Chase.

The seven-year-old powered away from the final fence under Martin McIntyre to beat The Informant by 17 lengths.

The three-runner 32Red Casino Handicap Hurdle made history by being one of the slowest hurdles races ever run in Britain.

The time set by the winner, Sweet Boy Vic, for the three-mile-three-furlong heat was eight minutes 42.10 seconds, only six seconds slower than the record time for the Grand National over four and a half miles recorded by Mr Frisk in 1990.

Seventeen seconds had elapsed after the starter dropped his flag, which signified the race had begun, before the trio even started to race.

The trio dawdled for most of the journey until Tom Cannon pressed the button on Sweet Boy Vic (7/4) from the third-last flight.

The 4/7 favourite American Life could not match the Chris Gordon-trained gelding's turn of foot and was six lengths down at the line.

"Tom was brilliant on Sweet Boy Vic. The jockey won that race," said Gordon.

"Tom's got lots of confidence. He's a jockey riding at the top of his game."

Cannon said: "If no-one wants to make the running, no-one wants to make it. We'd got our orders.

"We went steady the first two circuits and I just kicked on.

"I wanted to win it and I kept it simple in the end.

"We sprinted from three out, really, and quickened round the bend turning in. I pulled him out for the better ground and he kept on quickening.

"It was a sprint, but I was in the right place at the right time."

Cannon and Gordon had earlier struck with Lightentertainment (7/4 favourite), who registered his third course win in the £10 Free Bet At 32RedSport.com Handicap Hurdle.

The six-year-old was held off the pace before coming through to lead after two out and scored cosily by three and a half lengths from Cadoudoff.

"Lightentertainment was nearly completing a four-timer. He just got beat a nose last time," said Twyford-based Gordon.

"He won it pretty nicely. I'm over the moon with him.

"We're going the right way and can't wait to go chasing with him, but we might stick to hurdling this season with him."

Carroll Gray's Volio Vincente (11/2) took the Nigel Martin Memorial Handicap Chase for the second year running with a six-length call under James Best.

The Cannon-ridden Promised Wings stayed on after being tailed off early on to claim second place.

Best made it a brace on Kevin Bishop's Somerset Jem (5/2) in the SIS Bring Betting To Life Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Somchine (7/1) defied top weight of 11st 12lb on his first run since July 2013 to lift the 32Red.com Novices' Handicap Chase.

Andrew Thornton brought Seamus Mullins' six-year-old, wearing a hood for the first time, to lead before the last fence and hold Home For Tea by a length and a quarter.

Home For Tea's jockey Felix de Giles was given a four-day ban for careless riding. He will be out from December 10-13.