Ruby: Record-breaking AP a model pro and perfect gent
To ride 4,000 winners in a career that is far from finished can only be described as staggering.
Lots of flat jockeys have ridden that many winners, and a lot more besides, but it is a completely different story when you are discussing a National Hunt rider.
Recently I sat down and gave it some thought. According to my calculations, AP McCoy has had between 13,000 and 15,000 rides. If I have got that anywhere near correct, then he must have suffered the guts of 1,000 falls.
I’d say he has gone across somewhere between 88,000 and 100,000 obstacles and covered a minimum of 26,000 miles.
And not alone has he lived to tell the tale, but is at the peak of his powers and there is absolutely no lessening of his appetite for further success.
I believe I know AP really well. He is made of cement and has nerves of steel. He has won literally everything and been champion jockey 18 times in a row. But I think his greatest contribution to the game is the massive amount of favourable publicity he has heaped on our sport.
AP has been to the forefront of racing for so long and makes headlines nearly everywhere he goes.
But the headlines are always positive, because AP knows how to conduct himself. He is a model pro.
What motivates him? AP is no different to any other top sportsman, he doesn’t need to be motivated. The day he gets out of the bed and feels he has to motivate himself is the day he will retire.
Is retirement likely to arrive any time soon? No, is the short answer, why would he want to retire? He’s as fit as a flea, loves what he’s doing and physically is in great condition. AP enjoys race riding far too much to even contemplate giving it up, at least in the short term.
He has a terrific temperament and is afraid of nothing. When I say he’s afraid of nothing, I want to emphasise that’s in the racing world.
He’s definitely afraid of his wife, Chanelle, his mother, Claire, and sister, Rosin. But otherwise you could not get to the bottom of him and every race seems to come the same.
He is an unbelievable competitor, but very fair. He’s not a dirty rider, but won’t give you an inch, nor does he expect one. AP hates dirty riders. He is extraordinarily generous with the young lads. He is first class with them and doesn’t have to be asked a second time to offer advice.
He is extremely generous in general. When I was over and back to England, I basically lived with him for 10 years. He never took a penny off me. He’s craic on a night out, even if he doesn’t drink or smoke. He wouldn’t be found wanting when it comes to buying a round and is often last to leave.
As a rider, he is obviously hugely talented and, in or out of the saddle, highly intelligent. He can talk about anything and there’s a great discipline to him.
He has a fondness for chocolate but he won’t eat too much of it. Mind you he does drink tea as if it was going out of fashion. His leisure activities essentially consist of playing golf and watching Arsenal... I’d say watching Arsenal is about the least intelligent thing he does.
He is brilliant with his family and lives his life the way it should be lived. AP is a proper man and there really isn’t much more to be said.
