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Horse Racing

AP McCoy ruled out of Punchestown (but Sprinter Sacre will be there)

Nicky Henderson has confirmed that his superstar will run in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase on Tuesday.

AP MCCOY WILL not ride at the Punchestown Festival after it was confirmed that the champion jockey broke ribs earlier this week.

McCoy was due to ride some top chances including Alderwood, Holywell and Nadiya De La Vega during the five-day festival which gets underway at the Naas track on Tuesday.

He was expected to remain in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital last night as he continues to recover from Thursday’s fall from Quantitativeeasing in Cheltenham.

“He has broken a few ribs and was being accessed by the doctor when I spoke to him,” personal assistant Gee Bradburne told the Press Association.

He will be too sore to ride at Punchestown next week.

McCoy is due to collect his 18th successive jockeys’ championship title next weekend.

Meanwhile Nicky Henderson has confirmed that his superstar Sprinter Sacre will run in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase, the feature on Punchestown’s opening day.

“We are very happy with the horse and very much looking forward to taking him to Ireland,” Henderson said yesterday. “He deserves to go and Punchestown has always been very good to us.

“Barry (Geraghty) sat up on him yesterday and said that he felt great. All his checks are good and he appears to be in great form.”

Winner of the 2013 Queen Mother Champion Chase and the highest-rated British jumps horse of all time, Sprinter Sacre is expected to pull a big crowd to the Kildare track on Tuesday.

“Sprinter Sacre coming to Punchestown is a massive sporting occasion. He is a magnificent athlete and you don’t need to be a racing fan to appreciate sheer sporting brilliance when you see it,” Punchestown general manager Dick O’Sullivan said.

Nicky Henderson has always been a great supporter of Punchestown and he really recognises the fact that, with this horse, he has a superstar in his care.

He has mentioned a couple of times that the people of Ireland would really appreciate a chance to see Sprinter Sacre race and he has delivered on that today.

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