Drama As Tony Crashes Out

Jan 13 2008 By Robin Weir

CHAMPION jumps jockey Tony McCoy was rushed to hospital after a bone-shaking fall in the day's big race at Warwick.

McCoy, riding the favourite Arnold Layne in the Classic Chase, crashed out in the back straight second time round.

He was lifted into an ambulance on a stretcher and taken to hospital in Coventry to be examined for lower back injuries. Last night a spokeswoman said: "AP is stable, conscious and able to talk.

"He's still being assessed but when we asked him if we could give out a condition check he said 'tell them I'm OK'. As yet we are not quite sure what his injuries are."

McCoy, 33, has been champion for the last 12 years and has ridden well over 2000 winners - a record that looks set to stand for many years to come.

In the race itself veteran D'Argent defied his years to score in battling style. Alan King's 11-year-old, an 18-1 chance, never gave up in the marathon.

He answered all Choc Thornton's calls as another long shot Philson Run (14-1) loomed up to challenge at the last.

It looked like being a head-to-head on the run-in. But Philson tired badly in the closing stages and D'Argent strode clear to score by seven lengths. Naunton Brook was third at 18-1.

Carruthers made every post a winning one in the Grade Two Ballymore Properties Leamington Novices' Hurdle.

Mark Bradstock's five-year-old set a brisk gallop under Mattie Batchelor.

The 8-1 chance never saw another rival as one by one they all dropped away leaving him to come home alone.

Nenuphar Collonges was 13 lengths down at the line with major flop favourite Souffleur miles back in third."

Kempton's big race, the Lanzarote Hurdle, went to Paul Nicholls' heavily backed jolly Nycteos (7-4).

Ruby Walsh cruised into the lead at the last and looked nailed on to sluice home.

But top weight Kawagino (33-1) had other ideas and fought all the way to the line before going down narrowly.