McCoy has National aim

Tony McCoy admits he would love to end his John Smith’s Grand National hoodoo and bag the Aintree feature before his career is over.

The 13-times champion completed the magnificent achievement of reaching 3,000 career winners at Plumpton on Monday but he has yet to triumph in the four-and-a-half-mile marathon.

McCoy has now had time to reflect on his landmark victory which came in desperate conditions at Plumpton, with the 34-year-old steering both Hello Moscow and Restless D’Artaix to victory.

“Obviously Plumpton did very well to get the meeting on in the first place,” he said.

“I had a fancied ride in the first (Excape) but he disappointed and then I had a winner for the Bests on Hello Moscow – then I had a bit of a mishap in the race after (when he fell at the last aboard Miss Sarenne).

“It was obviously one of those things that you never want to happen again and the best way to get it out of your mind is to go and ride a winner in the next race – luckily that is what I did.

“You say to people when you are starting out how successful you’d like to be, but I think in your own mind you have to have goals and something to work for and aim at, keep looking ahead.

“When you get up in the morning there has to be something that makes you want to go and do it and I’m sure every person who wants to be successful in life must be the same.

“Obviously I’d love to win the Grand National. It’s the greatest horse race in the world, but it’s not that easy really, you only get one chance every year.

“I’ve not had much luck and I’ve not been successful in it yet but I believe at the beginning of every year that I’ll win the National so I’ll keep dreaming away,” he told At The Races.

Blue Square offer 12-1 about McCoy riding the winner of the Aintree spectacular this April.