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Cav, I don’t think the ‘general consensus’ is that McCoy is riding anywhere near his best at all.
Contributors to this forum, people on social media and the shrewder judges I have spoken to in the industry seem quite united in the opinion that McCoy’s riding has declined. In particular, the criticisms I have heard have been about his ability to see a stride and how horses often make more mistakes for him than other riders. Increasingly regular ill-judged rides, a string of iffy displays at the Cheltenham Festival and doubts about his strength seem to be the other arguments against him. For every Un Ace ride, there seem to be three or four Yanworth rides in my opinion.
I can see their point and think McCoy is doing the right thing in retiring before the average racing fan sees him a liability rather than the punter’s pal.
Another quote
“Yeah, I could be divorced if I start talking too much about 5,000.” So although McCoy is not happy, I think he would be more unhappy if he had no wife and kids to go home to.
Guys, I wonder if someone can help me.
I’m looking for a ride by AP, about 5 years ago. Unbelievable winning ride. It was at some rubbish midweek track and he came from a mile behind. He only just got up. I think it was over hurdles. And I think Sarah Hobbs after the race said something like “that’s the best ******* ride I’ve ever seen” (that may have been from a different unbelievable winning ride by AP). Ring any bells? Sorry I can’t be more specific…
Yes I knew it was something Prince!
Retiring is going to be unimaginably difficult for AP and I think the people around him will need to look after him after his last day riding because being arguably the best jockey ever has been his life 100%.
It is a bold and dignified decision to stop as an unbeaten champion but he may find going cold turkey impossibly tough and maybe he could have considered retiring as Champion but kept riding on a different basis for a couple of more seasons on his own terms just for the love of it…..all of that would go totally against the way AP sees his life from what we know of him but it would be more of an ease into giving up than the classy but ultimately brutal way he is doing it.I wish him well but his sadness is palpable.
I think he has made the right decision and glad he has ended his riding career today intact – would have been horrendous if had suffered a bad injury on his last day.
I wish him all the best for the future.
Nice to see him show some emotion. It is a pleasure to see him retire in one piece !!
It was all rather emotional wasn’t it? If AP wasn’t going to win in his last race, then for Richard Johnson to do it is probably the second best outcome. I’m sure AP will be fine. It will be tough but he’ll be hardly found swinging from a lamppost. All the best in his retirement.
Always room for the comeback next season , not like he is going to be missing much the next few months
AP needs to learn to love other aspects of life.
If he accepts that his body can’t perform to peak level forever and that deterioration of performance is inevitable, he will be half way to being content that he has made the right move.
It is going to be very tough because the nature of competitive sport is addictive for someone with serious desire to be their best, particularly in a dangerous discipline. Walking to Tesco for the milk and papers just doesn’t bring the same buzz but finding another outlet for his determination to succeed should hopefully allow him to remain competitive in life but have more time for family and helping them to realise their hopes and dreams for the future.
The best of luck to him and I hope his retirement can leave some room for other aspects of Racing in the press. Today’s Sporting Life website had seven articles about AP’s retirement at the top of the page at one point today. Enough already, we get the message that it’s a landmark day.
Is Found running in the 1000 Guineas? please let us know Sporting Life. Thank you
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I’d become sick of the constant coverage of his imminent retirement but I’m sure he would rather have just waited till today and announced it then, but he knew it would be good for racing [and especially the smaller tracks] over the past few weeks. Never the greatest fan of McCoy the jockey [sorry] I’m totally in awe of the man himself; his bravery, loyalty and humility,and must admit to being in tears watching him today.Wish him all the best. Mind you, he’s in for a shock having to now drive himself everywhere. Daft comment from Ruby today saying he didn’t understand why other jockeys didn’t have chauffeures to take them to the races; think it’s down to finances Ruby!
He could have carried on ’til 5,000 or had another go at the 300 (he seemed sick at missing that landmark) but I think he’s doing the right thing. He now needs to find something else, some other goal-oriented employment or business, he has good people around him to help him in any direction he chooses really.
It’s his wife who may find things aren’t going to work out the way she hopes – check this!
Interesting thoughts TYF – but is there actually any evidence to back up claims that he’s not as good as he was? In fact his strike rate (a crude indicator, but an indicator nonetheless) this season is the highest he’s recorded since the 2002/03 season. I’m not sure he’s any worse, in fact I think experience will have compensated for any loss in strength or stamina. I’m sure he’s clever enough though to recognise that balance would change over the next few years.
Interesting thoughts TYF – but is there actually any evidence to back up claims that he’s not as good as he was? In fact his strike rate (a crude indicator, but an indicator nonetheless) this season is the highest he’s recorded since the 2002/03 season. I’m not sure he’s any worse, in fact I think experience will have compensated for any loss in strength or stamina. I’m sure he’s clever enough though to recognise that balance would change over the next few years.
Spot on admin.
Didn’t think not riding 300 winners in a season was much of a non achievement as he had already beaten Richards record of winners in a season. Think he will think the same in time.
The only thing he didn’t do was beat Richard’s career wins, wonder how close he was continuing to beat that? I suspect not too close, if everything went well it would be 2/3 years and although I think he would have probably done it, would it have been worth attempting it?
No jockey will ever equal or surpass
McCoy’s career achievements. The man is a freak of nature –
so driven, so dedicated and let’s not forget, so talented.AP McCoy may not have been the greatest stylist in the saddle
but he was the greatest NH jockey of all – that much is beyond dispute.One thing is for sure ; McCoy is a man of his word.
When he declares to the world that he is retiring
for good, then you can bet your life he means it.
He won’t come back like other great sports people have come back –
because he knows that it would be folly to do so
– and is aware that those who did, in a vain attempt to
replicate their glory years, invariably failed miserably.
McCoy will not allow his great reputation to be tarnished
in any way. I wish him all the very best in his retirement.Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
AP McCoy may not have been the greatest stylist in the saddle
but he was the greatest NH jockey of all – that much is beyond dispute.Looking beyond your own view why is it beyond dispute?
How do you make your judgement? Surely you cannot base it purely on figures and Championships as most years Johnson was his only challenger and relative to McCoy he didn’t have sufficient ammunition to take the title. In the good old days you could win a Championship with less than a hundred winners but now with the massive increase in races it would seem to render a purely figures based comparison impossible. Add in chauffeurs, jockeys agents and better medical access and a jockey’s life is that much easier than it used to be. Basically, all McCoy had to do was ride. I would prefer to judge ability against the biggest challenges in the sport and that for me isn’t booting home a string of short priced favourites at the gaff tracks. That in itself is dedication but not greatness.
I would agree with the previous poster. I don’t believe McCoy was the same jockey after the serious fall at Warwick, at least not in terms of turning in mistake free rounds. They became increasingly few and far between. The tie with O’Neill/McManus just exposed him as a pretty ordinary hold-up jockey. I am pretty sure the whole association left a sour taste with many punters.
As for the finale, I thought it a bit of a shame that the ‘Team’ couldn’t find him a few more chances to at least boot home one winner.
I know there has been some talk about him returning but I would be amazed if that actually happened.
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