Saturday 25 April 2015 06:29, UK
AP McCoy will bring down the curtain on his glittering riding career at Sandown Park on Saturday after clinching the jump jockeys’ championship title for a 20th successive year.
Such an achievement deserves to be celebrated, but it will also be an occasion tinged with an element of sadness as there will be no 21st title for McCoy to claim.
When Mr Mole gave McCoy his 200th winner of the campaign at Newbury back in February, the sport of horse racing was rocked as he revealed in his live post-race interview that this season was to be his last.
Having notched up more winners than any other jockey in each of his 20 seasons in Britain, McCoy’s desire to go out while still at the top of his game led him to make the tough decision to retire.
The 40-year-old from Northern Ireland will hang up his saddle having won practically every major race going, including two Cheltenham Gold Cups and, most memorably, the 2010 Grand National which he won aboard Don’t Push It.
That famous victory at Aintree led to honours beyond his achievements in racing and he was subsequently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year and awarded an OBE in The Queen’s 2010 Birthday Honours list for his services to the sport.
There has never been a jockey like AP McCoy and he became the first man to record 4,000 career wins when he guided Mountain Tunes to success at Towcester in 2013.
Now with a total of 4,357 victories to his name and more than 1,500 winners clear of his nearest rival, we are unlikely to see anyone of his ilk again.
Here are some of the key numbers that sum up the scale of McCoy’s achievements:
- 19 consecutive champion jockey titles (to become 20 on Saturday).
- 253 winners in the 1997-98 season, beating the previous record tally of jumps wins in a season of 221 held by Peter Scudamore.
- 289 winners in the 2001-02 season, a British horse racing record and surpassing Sir Gordon Richards’ previous record of 269 winners on the Flat.
- Became the most successful jump jockey of all time when surpassing Richard Dunwoody's tally of 1,699 winners in August 2002.
- Rode his 4,000th winner on Mountain Tunes at Towcester on November 7, 2013.
- Record-breaking 4,357 winners as of April 22 (including nine on the Flat)
- First win: March 26 1992 - Legal Steps at Thurles.
- He has won practically every major race, including 2 Cheltenham Gold Cups, 3 Champion Hurdles and the Grand National in 2010 at his 15th attempt.
- Awarded an MBE in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours and an OBE in 2010.
- Voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2010, the first time an individual from racing had been recognised in this way.
