AP McCoy landed the second win of his last Aintree meeting thanks to a trainer he will be praying doesn ’ t win Saturday 's Crabbie ’ s Grand National . Irishman Gordon Elliott trains Cause of Causes , a gelding owned by McCoy ’ s boss JP McManus and one of the mounts he could have taken in the race instead of Shutthefrontdoor . McCoy won on board Elliott ’ s Don Cossack , who took apart a strong Melling Chase field with a 26-length defeat of Cue Card . AP McCoy celebrates after winning the Melling Chase race at Aintree on Friday . McCoy rode Don Cossack to victory as he prepares for his final Grand National on Saturday . Afterwards , Elliott , enjoying his third winner of the meeting and the man who trained 2007 National winner Silver Birch , preferred to concentrate on Don Cossack ’ s win rather than the National jockey arrangements . Elliott , who has booked Paul Carberry to ride Cause of Causes , said : ‘ We have got Paul which is good but if we had AP it would have been twice as good . ‘ They make their decisions and we will enjoy today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. ’ A dramatic race saw Balder Succes fall at the third fence and Sire De Grugy come down at the sixth . McCoy settled the matter with a decisive move entering the home straight . Don Cossack ’ s only defeat in six runs this season came when he did not show his best and ended up third to Uxizandre in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival . Don Cossack ridden by McCoy ( second left ) leads the field on the way to victory at Aintree . McCoy jumps the final fence on Don Cossack as he rides to victory in the Melling Steeple Chase . Elliott added : ‘ Two years ago I said he was the best horse we have ever had . We had a bad season with him but he has proven how good he is . It will be the Gold Cup next season. ’ McCoy ’ s penultimate ride over the Grand National fences ended in disappointment when Eastlake was pulled up in an action-packed Topham Chase in which only 10 of the 30 starters completed . Success went to Nicky Henderson ’ s Rajdhani Express , who overhauled long-time leader Fairy Rath after the last . It was a sixth win in races over the famous Aintree fences for amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen , who rides Oscar Time in today ’ s big race . Meanwhile , also Gold Cup-bound next season is Paul Nicholls-trained Saphir Du Rheu , 15-length winner of the Grade One Betfred Mildmay Novices ’ Chase under Sam Twiston-Davies . Twenty four hours earlier , a second consecutive success for Silviniaco Conti in Thursday ’ s Betfred Bowl , along with the fact that the gelding has been beaten three times in the Gold Cup , had left Nicholls feeling he did not have a contender for next season but all that has changed now . Nicholls said : ‘ After yesterday , I didn ’ t think we had a Gold Cup horse but we definitely do now . This is a very special horse. ’ The day for jockey Brian Hughes had started badly when he took a fall from a hunter while riding as a guest of former Aintree chairman Lord Daresbury , bashing his nose and lip . But it also proved to be a lucky omen . The last time Hughes had ridden out on the Daresbury estate before Aintree , he landed the 2010 Topham Chase on Always Waining . This time he followed it with success on Cyrius Darius in the Grade Two E-Lites Top Novices ’ Hurdle . It was a second race win of the meeting for Hughes , who rides outsider Ely Brown in the National . Winning trainer Malcolm Jefferson said : ‘ I would love to have a nice two-mile chaser and he could be the one. ’ liRISH jockey Robbie McNamara was last night considered very doubtful to take the ride on top weight Lord Windermere after being taken to hospital following a fall in the first race at Wexford . Also , Wayne Hutchinson must receive medical clearance to ride Godsmejudge after he was stood down from his remaining rides yesterday following a fall from Balder Succes in the Melling Chase .
stew McCoy wins second consecutive race at the National festival . Rides will race to victory in Melling Chase on Friday . Set to ride favourite Shutthefrontdoor at homestead on Saturday .