Tony McCoy, a 19-time champion jumps jockey who has booted home over 4,000 winners, has announced he will retire from racing at the end of the season. Just minutes after Mr Mole (Ire) (Great Pretender {Ire}) gave McCoy his 200th winner of the season in an incident-packed Betfair Price Rush Chase at Newbury, the champion jockey told Channel 4 Racing of his intention to stop riding.
“It's going to be the last time I ride 200 winners,” McCoy said. “Having spoken to Dave [Roberts, agent] and [owner] JP McManus, I am going to be retiring at the end of the season.”
Born Anthony Peter McCoy May 4, 1974, McCoy apprenticed to Irish trainer Jim Bolger for four years and rode his first winner, Legal Steps (Ire) (Law Society) Mar. 26, 1992. McCoy made the successful switch to jumps racing when he joined the yard of Toby Balding at the beginning of the 1994/1995 season before beginning a successful eight-year partnership with trainer Martin Pipe in 1996. McCoy's most winning season was in 2001/2002 with 289 wins. He was awarded an MBE in 2003 and was appointed the retained rider for millionaire owner, JP McManus, at the end of the 2003-04 season.
During his stellar career, McCoy won the G1 Champion Hurdle three times, the G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, and once each the G1 Champion Chase G1 King George VI Chase, and the 2010 G1 Grand National. McCoy has also been honored as the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year and with an OBE that same year. McCoy's run as champion jumps jockey began in 1995/1996 and he is eyeing 20-straight being 79 wins ahead of nearest rival Richard Johnson this season.
Continued McCoy, “I want to go out at the top, I want to go out as champion jockey and it will be my 20th year if I can win the jockeys' championship.”
“It's a decision he's battled with very much, some days he's at peace with it and some days he's sad,” said wife Chanelle McCoy. “It will be great for him to go out on a high and hopefully we will get him out in one piece.”
Trainer Martin Pipe commented, “What a shock. I just said to him 'about time.' He's been an absolute legend for racing, he'll never be surpassed in anyone's lifetime. He's the best we've ever seen.”
“The biggest decisions are the hardest decisions, and AP is the biggest man who had to do it,” said great rival and close friend Ruby Walsh. “It is wonderful that you could have the career AP has had, but it was a big call and only he could have known that the time was right. He is the consummate professional and has done everything that is good for racing.”
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