Chill delays McCoy's charge towards 1,000

Tony McCoy's quest to ride 1,000 winners was put on hold yesterday when the jockey cried off his final three mounts at Leicester, saying that he was suffering from 'flu.

Tony McCoy's quest to ride 1,000 winners was put on hold yesterday when the jockey cried off his final three mounts at Leicester, saying that he was suffering from 'flu.

McCoy, on the 997-winner mark, finished third on De Chelly in the opening race but left the track afterwards feeling unwell. He has five booked rides at Ludlow today, including a couple of likely hot favourites in Select Star and Beaumont. McCoy's agent, Dave Roberts, later said: "Tony says he feels a lot better now and hopes to be riding tomorrow."

Peter Niven is expected to be out of action for about eight weeks as a result of injuries sustained in a spill at Sedgefield on Tuesday. The jockey suffered neck injuries when brought down on Carrick Troop in the maiden chase.

Detained overnight with a fractured bone in his neck, he saw a specialist yesterday who advised him that an operation to help the break heal would not be required.

Niven needs just 26 more winners to reach his own 1,000 victories over jumps and is sixth in the all-time standings.