McCoy is aware of Alfie's potential

Rated as highly as 147 over hurdles, Jonjo O'Neill's sparingly-campaigned eight-year-old is reportedly a tricky customer to keep on the straight and narrow.

He has nonetheless taken to chasing with laudable ease, consolidating upon a pleasing chasing debut at Bangor by comfortably winning the totesport.com Irish Day – Saturday 5th February Novices' Chase.

Four runners became three at the seventh fence as the Jason Maguire-ridden Glenwood Knight departed the scene, slightly hampering the winner in the process.

But the 13-8 chance soon regained his composure, edging into the lead after the second-last and defeating the pacesetting Knockavilla by seven lengths.

"He's a difficult horse to train, so it's a day-by-day thing with him," reasoned McCoy.

"But once Jason fell, it in no way felt like a horse race as there was no pace whatsoever.

"He jumped very well, though, and has clearly got ability."

McCoy offered similarly positive comments to Paul Webber

following A Bridge Too Far's accomplished triumph in the "Enjoy The Craic" On Saturday 5th February Novices' Hurdle.

His time at Webber's yard in Berkshire could be fleeting, however, as the useful five-year-old heads off to the Doncaster Sales today.

Webber said of the 2-1 joint-favourite: "Tony said the horse was doing his best work at the end.

"We think a great deal of him and he'll progress over two and a half miles."

Less impressive, but far more surprising to connections, was the triumph of Borero (17-2) in the goracing.co.uk Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old chestnut landed some seriously lumpy bets – he was available at 25-1 in the morning – under a determined Jake Greenall.

"It's a miracle he's won," trainer Mick Easterby said of the former Charlie Mann inmate.

"Since I've been a trainer, this is my biggest shock in racing as I thought he'd be pulled up the way he's been working at home. He'd lost his nerve over fences which is why he was back hurdling."

Tigre D'Aron, by contrast, was expected to win the TurfTV.co.uk Juvenile Maiden Hurdle, but still needed to work hard to vindicate 4-9 favouritism.

Howard Johnson's strapping grey endeavoured to make all of the running on his British debut, but found High Ransom a willing combatant and only succeeded by a nose.

Allanard (5-2 favourite) then won the Wetherby Racecourse Handicap Chase without breaking sweat, while Work Boy (3-1) overcame a couple of wayward leaps to take top honours in the wetherbyracing.co.uk Handicap Chase.

Jonjo O'Neill's Aberdale, a leading ante-post fancy for this weekend's Sky Bet Chase, will miss the Doncaster feature after suffering a minor injury.

The seven-year-old novice, owned by Trevor Hemmings, set himself up for a crack at the 75,000 handicap with a comfortable win at Wetherby in November.

However, those plans have had to be shelved and it is unclear when he will return to action.

Hemmings's racing manager Michael Meagher said: "He's gone wrong, he's not quite right.

"It's nothing serious and he'll be okay, but he's just not right at the minute. It's a sickener, but that's horses for you. We've still got Malcolm Jefferson's King Fontaine to run there."

King Fontaine was due to be in action in the abandoned

Peter Marsh at Haydock and it was only as a contingency that he was handed a Doncaster entry.

"He might not have to carry as much weight this weekend as he would have done at Haydock," said Jefferson.

"The fact it's a week later is no issue to him, he's very well. I told Michael to enter him just in case Haydock was off, even though they had the other horse, so it's a good job he did."

A total of 29 are still engaged. Others taken out include the Paul Nicholls stablemates The Tother One, Breedsbreeze, Taranis, Pasco and Meanus Dandy, while others who will not feature are Silver By Nature, Carruthers, Comply Or Die and West End Rocker.

At this stage top weight is due to be carried by Nicholls's Take The Breeze with the champion trainer's Fistral Beach heading the ante-post markets.

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