AT Sandown on Saturday the curtain went down on the National Hunt season, and what a fitting end to it with A P McCoy winning the big race in typical fashion.

On the day McCoy was crowned 14-times champion jockey he treated the packed crowds at the Esher track to another scarcely believable ride to win the bet365 Gold Cup on 13-2 shot Hennessy for trainer Carl Llewellyn.

Hard at work on the lazy eight-year-old a long way from the finish, the Irishman produced another display in the saddle that proves he is simply the best jockey we have ever seen.

Closer to home and without McCoy, but still very competitive, is Newcastle races this afternoon.

The seven races start at 2.20 at Gosforth Park and the highlight comes at 4.20 with an interesting handicap over six furlongs.

Plenty of decent horses go to post, including Barney McGrew, for Denton trainer Michael Dods. Already a winner over course and distance, the six-year-old looks sure to go close under jockey Phil Makin, after running well on his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster.

Tomorrow evening Sedgefield stage their big race of the year with the Durham National due off at 7.20.

You’ll need a very tough horse to stay the three and a half mile trip and I’ll take a chance with Chernik, who was a very impressive winner at Carlisle recently. Although the eightyear- old has gone up in the weights he still should run well for the in-form trainer Mickey Hammond.

The 2,000 Guineas is being staged at Newmarket next weekend. Karl Burke will send Lord Shanakill to contest the famous race after pleasing the Middleham trainer in a workout during racing at Ripon on Saturday.

Burke took Lord Shanakill to the “garden racecourse” after his reappearance run had to be aborted when he was found to have a high temperature.

After galloping with a couple of stable companions, the trainer seemed very happy with his colt, saying: “It all went to plan. He travelled very smoothly and that will put him spot on for the Guineas, where Jim Crowley will take the ride.”

All looks good at York racecourse as well, where they are set to race for the first time next month since last July.

After last August’s Ebor meeting was washed away by the torrential rain it has been the subject of serious drainage work.

Last week Richard Fahey brought a few of his string to test out the new surface and was delighted with what he saw.

“It is as good a ground as our horses have been on all year,”

he said. “They have produced perfect ground.”

Everything looks in place for York’s first meeting of the year on May 13.