‘I have to be careful not to get too emotional. It’s bad for the image!’

Leopardstown yesterday is easy to describe. There’s never been an afternoon like it at the track, writes Pat Keane.

On Saturday the legendary Tony McCoy stunned the racing world when announcing that he was going to hang up his boots at the end of the season. When he does retire, McCoy will be crowned champion jockey for an amazing 20th time.

Yesterday he offered the reason why, another display of power-packed riding, as he drove Carlingford Lough, fittingly owned by J P McManus, to success in the Hennessy Gold Cup.