McCoy denied a win on Warwick return

However, he was denied a winning comeback when finishing second on his only mount Key To The West, .

McCoy had suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung when falling from Laudatory at Taunton on December 30, ending his hopes of breaking his own riding record of 289 winners in a season achieved ten years ago.

Key To The West was sent off 11-8 favourite to make a winning debut in the Racing UK Intermediate Open National Hunt Flat Race, but found one too good on the day in the shape of Ballyalton, who followed up his Irish point-to-point win to score unchallenged by 18 lengths for Alvechurch trainer Ian Williams.

The meeting had got underway with a comfortable win for Fire Fighter, who stepped up from his debut third to Colebrooke at Sandown Park when taking the Whitson Bloodstock Juvenile Hurdle for trainer Alan King and jockey Wayne Hutchinson at odds of 8-11.

Fire Fighter’s jumping had been a bit patchy on his debut, including a mistake at the last hurdle, and history was to repeat itself here as, having been sent clear two flights from home, he stumbled badly at the final obstacle, but had enough in hand to see off 20-1 shot Black Pond.

Favourite backers collected again in the second, the Warwick Handicap Chase, as Inga Bird and Richard Johnson made all the running, just holding on in the tightest of finishes to beat One More Dinar by a short head, with Tim The Chair another head back in third.

The handicapper is likely to take a dim view of Bellflower Boy’s easy victory in the Whites Of Coventry Handicap Hurdle, as he made a mockery of his rating when putting 21 lengths between himself and the rest of the field headed by 3-1 favourite Godsmejudge. He had been raised 10lb for his win at the last meeting, but could be facing an even stiffer hike in the weights for this success.

While Ruby Walsh gets the leg-up on most of the stars from the yard of champion trainer Paul Nicholls, second jockey Daryl Jacob is still a regular visitor to the winner’s enclosure and market leader Pacha Du Polder became his 65th of the season when leading three fences out and cruising home to beat Carribs Leap by 12 lengths in the Trooper Richman 50th Birthday Novices’ Chase.

Richard Johnson completed a double for the afternoon when taking the Contract Fire And Security Handicap Chase aboard Arctic Ben, trained like his first winner Inga Bird by Henry Daly, for whom this was the 17th success of the season.

Monkerty Tunkerty has been chalking up an impressive record in point-to-points and was fancied to take the Willoughby De Broke Hunters’ Chase. Although 20-year-old rider, Jessica Westwood, had won four times on him between the flags, she was making her riding debut under rules, but that did not stop punters sending Monkerty Tunkerty off the 9-4 favourite.

He duly obliged, beating Bradley and Hills Of Aaran and looks a useful recruit to the hunter-chase scene.