Horse Racing: McCoy breaks the ultimate record

It has been a long wait but champion jockey Tony McCoy today stands alone as having ridden more winners in a season than any other rider in history.

The incredible Ulsterman finally broke Sir Gordon Richards’ long standing mark of 269 winners in a season after steering home a 78-1 treble at Warwick on Tuesday, courtesy of victories for Shampooed, Shepherds Rest and Valfonic.

After Valfonic’s hard-earned call in the Leek Wooton Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, McCoy raised both fists in triumph as he returned to a rapturous reception from the big crowd at the Midlands course where he was later presented with a magnum of champagne by chairman Gerry Dennis.

A happy and relieved McCoy declared: ‘‘It’s taken a while to get to the record but as I keep saying I cannot make the horses go any faster - as much as I’d like to be able to I can’t.

‘‘I couldn’t have done this without my agent Dave Roberts and of course Martin Pipe as he’s provided me with 176 winners this season. Martin has put me up on winner after winner and I’m lucky that I ride for so many good trainers such as him and Jonjo O’Neill.

‘‘You’ve got to keep riding winners as that’s what it’s all about but it’s good to get this out of the way and I’m pleased for everyone from Billy Rock, who trains close to my home in Ireland and got me going, to Jim Bolger, Toby Balding, Mr Pipe and of course my mum and dad.

‘‘I’m pleased I’ve actually broken the record on one of Martin’s as he put so much into it and makes the job so much easier for me I can’t do this sort of thing without the horses.’’

When asked if breaking Richards’ record was a major relief, McCoy replied: ‘‘It probably has not dawned on me yet what I’ve just done.

‘‘I just think I’m lucky to have had such a great year as when you see what’s happened to Adrian Maguire and Joe Tizzard you understand how lucky you are to stay injury free.

‘‘I wouldn’t even begin to compare myself to someone like Sir Gordon Richards - not the fact that he rode 269 winners but that he was 26 times champion jockey.

‘‘It’s OK to ride plenty of winners but to keep doing it as he did I think he beat me on that score.’’

So what is next for McCoy now that he has beaten Richards’ record total?

He said: ‘‘I’ve got a two-day ban next week and I’ll probably go away for a couple of days as well the main thing is to be back and raring to go at the beginning of May as I want to be champion jockey again.

‘‘I’m still enjoying it and I want to ride as many winners as possible and if that means riding all through the summer then so be it.

‘‘I’m not saying I’ll even beat this total again but I’m not going to rest on it as records are made to be broken every record is beatable and there was always someone who will come along and do just that.’’

Asked if there had been a time after Cheltenham, when he considered he would not beat the record, McCoy added: ‘‘Cheltenham was just hard. It was a disaster what happened to Valiramix as horses don’t come along like him every day and its left a bit of a bad mark on the season.

‘‘But I always knew it would be hard to get the record between Cheltenham and Aintree as Mr Pipe ran so many horses at Cheltenham that we were also going to the Grand National meeting and there wasn’t enough racing.’’

McCoy earlier this season had stated that he would like to ride 300 winners in a term and when asked if that was still a target he replied:

‘‘I had been struggling to ride one! But 300 is not out of the question but with the time left and the fact I’ve got a couple of days’ suspension it’s possible but only just if things go brilliantly well.’’

There was a slight sting in the tail for the champion jockey and Pipe has Valfonic’s performance was referred to the stewards of the Jockey Club so that videos of his previous races could be reviewed.

To which McCoy declared: ‘‘I thought that was the whole thing to get winners if Martin didn’t improve horses I wouldn’t be riding so many winners.’’

Pipe was quick to praise his stable jockey, with whom he has enjoyed so much success in recent seasons.

He said: ‘‘Brilliant wasn’t it? It’s absolutely brilliant that he should beat Sir Gordon Richards’ record and I’m thrilled to bits for him.

‘‘I’m highly delighted he was on one of my horses. He deserves it, he’s a dedicated, brilliant jockey.

‘‘Only this morning he was down schooling my team of horses for the National over National fences that we built.

‘‘Not only did he school his own ride but other people’s too. He’s a fabulous, generous team player.’’

O’Neill, a former champion himself, said: ‘‘It’s fantastic - words can’t really describe the man.

‘‘He’s brilliant in every aspect. He’s a hell of a nice fella, a brilliant rider, he can ride any sort of a race.

‘‘We’re all very privileged to be around and see a fella like that.’’

And O’Neill is sure he is the best there has ever been,

‘‘There’s no doubt,’’ he said.

McCoy did not endure the best of times at the Cheltenham Festival, with the death of Champion Hurdle hope Valiramix hitting him particularly hard.

O’Neill added: ‘‘And he’s a very good example to everybody no matter what people have been saying about him being bad tempered.

‘‘I think that was very unfair and I think he’s a very nice fella. He cares. He tries and he’s honest. He does his bit, he does everything.’’