Farewell Champ!

It is a historic day as we bid farewell to a legend of the turf today with A P McCoy signing off an incredible career, the likes of which we will never see again.  There are six meetings taking place with Doncaster, Haydock, Leicester, Ripon and Wolverhampton taking place, although all eyes will be on Sandown and the swansong of the greatest jockey.  Sandown have sold all 18,000 of their tickets and it is going to be an incredible day...I just wonder what will be going through AP's mind as he sees all of those people there wanting to wish him luck and bid him goodbye.  The stable has three runners; Unanimite, The Package and Twentytwo's Taken.  As you would expect, the racing is extremely competitive and the big race is the Bet365 Gold Cup (I still call it the Whitbread!) - there is a maximum field and we look to hold a solid chance with easy Cheltenham Festival winner The Package.  I think quite a few of the runners will be caught out by the fast ground, although it should suit our runner.

 It would be wonderful if AP could go out with a winner on his last day in the saddle, although it is a tall order with only two rides.  Former Arsenal legend Ian Wright will be presenting him with the jockeys' championship trophy today and he will be allowed to keep it.  In fact, he is the only one ever to win the modern title!  I wonder if the iron man will shed a tear?  Straight after racing we are off to a party for AP near Newbury - it will certainly be emotional and I am extremely honoured to have been invited.  

With the impending retirement of the greatest jockey ever to sit astride a horse, we felt it fitting that a few of the staff from AP’s time at Pond House should share some of their recollections of the outgoing champion while others just wanted to pay tribute…

Trainer, David Pipe:
I have been very fortunate to have witnessed the riding career of A P McCoy and it has been a privilege to have played a very small part in his incredible success.  He rode 70 winners for me since I took over the reins at Pond House and an incredible 1154 for my father before me.  I don’t think I have ever met another person with the same steely determination to succeed and his judgement and feedback when it came to the horses was quite unparalleled.

We will certainly never see his like again and the sport will be much the poorer for his retirement.  Very few champions get to go out at the top and unbeaten but AP has managed it, going out with his talents undiminished.  Indeed, I think with age and experience he has grown as a rider and he has never ridden better than he has this season.  A conditional jockeys’ championship followed by twenty successive champion jockeys’ titles will never be bettered and I will miss you both as an ally and a rival on the racecourse.

Former Assistant Trainer, Chester Barnes:
My favourite memory of the champ came when we were travelling from Chepstow to Wincanton for an evening meeting when it became so foggy that we had to ditch the helicopter in a field.  Unfortunately for us, the field had just been spread with muck.  Anyway, AP was in a bad mood as he had already missed his first intended ride of the evening, so he got out of the helicopter, put his bag on the helicopter runner and stood up in his ladies' tights (I have seen better sights in tights!).  He knocked his bag over and it went upside down into the muck.  AP said, "I dare you to laugh".  I was in fits - there was the champ in tights and his clothes covered in sh!t!

Former conditional jockey, Gerry Supple:
 I remember the first time I met A P McCoy.  It was at Newton Abbot in 1994 and my brother John Supple was supposed to ride a horse called Bonus Boy for Bob Buckler in the conditional jockeys selling handicap chase.  Unfortunately John’s car broke down so he was unable to take the mount and there were only two jockeys available at the track to ride…Guy Lewis or A P McCoy.  Mrs Buckler asked me who should ride and I told her that she should have McCoy.  As I led him round, AP said “you have the head of an ‘effing Supple!”… Some thanks for helping to get him the ride on his first chase winner in Britain!

In all seriousness though, AP is the finest jockey we have ever seen and a good guy to boot.  Racing will not be the same without him.

Former Head Lad, Dennis Dummett:
You can’t get away from it, he is the best there has ever been and is ever likely to be.

Travelling Head Lad, Bob Hodge:
I think McCoy’s drive, determination and awareness of what is going on around him mark him out as different to the rest of his rivals.  I remember taking Family Business to Southwell in 2002 for that famous novices’ chase where none of the runners completed at the first time of asking.  Family Business had fallen at the tenth fence, but as the race unfolded you could see that his six rivals were also going to struggle to complete.  We managed to catch the horse, AP remounted (which you were able to do back then) and he finished alone in a time in excess of 10 ½ minutes for the three mile contest!  I don’t know how many other jockeys would have had the presence of mind to do that.

Secretary, Gail Harrison:
A true gentleman in all phases and a legend for all jockeys to aspire to.  I am very proud to have been associated with him whilst he was riding horses for Martin and David Pipe in the past and I enjoyed his visits while I was working in the office as his feedback on schooling horses was invaluable.

I wish him and his family all the best in the future in whatever he aspires to do.

Secretary, Gemma Edwards:
I am proud to be from the family that gave you your first winner in Britain – Chickabiddy.  Back then of course who knew what the future would hold – maybe you knew?  Today I look back privileged to have watched and been associated with the best jockey we have ever seen.  I was in Birmingham the night you won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award – the weather was horrendous with freezing temperatures and snow, but I did not want to miss that momentous occasion…racing is so small compared to other sports but you have done so much for our sport and finally you were honoured by the British public, richly deserved.

I do have another family memory, albeit not a good one that I hope you don’t mind me sharing?  I am not sure if you would remember but my parents trained a horse called Little Hooligan – you did win on him and finish placed a few times.  In fact, you did actually win on him a second time at Taunton in 1995 but unfortunately you and a few others bypassed the omitted hurdle on the wrong side and were disqualified!

Thanks for the memories, racing will not be the same without you.  We will miss you!

Secretary, James Smith:
When A P McCoy retires from the saddle after racing at Sandown this afternoon, his place in history as the finest jockey to ever sit astride a horse is already assured.  Rather than bore you with endless stats, I would instead prefer to talk of the side of the champ that very few people get to see.

I was lucky enough to work at Pond House during the Martin Pipe, A P McCoy era and he would often come down to the stables to ride out and school the horses.  During this time he would always be approachable and friendly to the yard staff with no airs, graces or pretention about him.  He was easy to talk to and he had a wider range of conversation than just horse racing.  Indeed, I remember standing in the Pond House car park in the late nineties’ talking with him about the merits of rapper Eminem!

While possessing a steely determination and unerring focus, few people were fortunate enough to witness AP’s very dry sense of humour.  Only recently I remember asking his personal assistant, Gee Bradburne if she could get the champ to sign a copy of his latest biography for my mother.  Gee asked what I would like written inside the book and I was astonished when it came back with the inscription, “To Liz, James has been a huge influence on my career – he is a great credit to you.  With lots of love, A P McCoy”.  Inevitably the book has pride of place on my mum’s coffee table in the lounge!  Of course, I have had zero influence on the great man, although it does illustrate his wicked sense of humour.

 It has been an honour and a privilege to see you ride - we will all miss you AP!