McCoy will live to regret choice – Elliott

Gordon Elliott thinks so – the trainer could not be more bullish about the prospects of Cheltenham winner Cause Of Causes who McCoy shunned in favour of Jonjo O’Neill’s Shutthefrontdoor.

Paul Carberry is the beneficiary of McCoy’s decision and Elliott reports the horse to be in fine form. “The more the ground dries out, the better he’ll be,” said the County Meath-based trainer who won the National at the very first attempt when Silver Birch, a bargain buy from Doncaster Sales, prevailed in 2007.

“He had an easy week, 10 days after Cheltenham. He’s been back working away and did a nice bit of work the other day.”

Meanwhile, Charlie Longsdon says Ely Brown, winner of the Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby in February last year, is an intended runner. The lightly-raced horse has only won once this season, when pulled up at the West Yorkshire track, but Longsdon said: “He’s won a few big handicaps over hurdles and was sixth at the Cheltenham Festival and he’s won a Grade Two over fences. He’s not a real 100-1 shot if you look at that form. He’s only that price because he hasn’t run this season except when he was pulled up, but he had a wind problem.”