Maestro eyes a bright new dawn

The personification of modesty with his long-standing reticence about individual honours, a lifelong trait, McCoy was looking to the future of racing as he rode some of the country's finest racehorses at daybreak yesterday.

At 36, the record-breaking rider with more than 3,000 career winners to his name was on the gallops as the sun rose above the Lambourn downs so he could put horses like The Queen's Barbers Shop and Binocular, the reigning Champion Hurdle victor, through their paces.

He has previously said that he was not bothered about the BBC award. But he had also expressed similar sentiments about the Grand National – until the emotions came flooding out when Don't Push It crossed the Aintree finishing line and saw the magical McCoy finally win the world's most famous steeplechase at the 15th time of asking. It did matter and one suspects that it would matter to the maestro if sports fans voted for him as their No 1 in 2010 when the BBC hosts this year's ceremony on December 19.

"Rather than it being a personal honour, I would see it as a huge thing for racing itself," said the jockey.

"From my point of view, it's a massive thing to be mentioned in the same breath as other sports stars, but I see it as a bigger honour for racing.

"Frankie Dettori is the biggest icon we have to offer, but if by me winning the Grand National means more people are interested in the sport, that can only be a good thing."

McCoy suggested that Don't Push It is unlikely to repeat his Aintree heroics next April because he will inevitably be penalised by the handicapper.

However, he can hardly wait to renew his partnership with Nicky Henderson's exciting hurdling star Binocular, who is owned by JP McManus.

"Binocular is a special little horse," said McCoy, speaking about the JP McManus-owned six-year-old at a Racing For Change media morning.

"He's been a favourite of mine from the first time I sat on him. He always had the potential to be a great horse and, in the Champion Hurdle, he proved it.

"How often have you seen a horse going as well as him two out in a Champion Hurdle?"

CHAMPION jockey front-runner Paul Hanagan has a solid book of rides at Catterick's penultimate Flat fixture of 2010 this afternoon and gets the leg up on Its You Again for Mick Quinlan in the opener.

The son of Avonbridge did not act on the Lingfield Polytrack in May but sandwiching that fifth-placing are encouraging performances at Newcastle and Goodwood, the latter of which came on the back of a mid-season break.

With that in mind, he is sure to improve for the outing and with rain-affected conditions apparently holding no fears for him on the Sussex Downs, the forecast rain would be to his advantage.

Hanagan holds obvious claims again later on in Scottish raider Lady Bluesky.

Alistair Whillans's mare has made great strides since being upped in distance and proved her love of soft ground when beating her rivals by upwards of two lengths over this course and distance, so a 4lb rise does not appear a stiff punishment.

TWO-TIME winner Ollie Magern heads the 17 entries for Saturday's Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. The provisional runners also include Deep Purple, last year's hero.