RACING: After a fortnight of heady anticipation and an extraordinary near-miss, Tony McCoy finally reached 3000 jumps winners aboard Restless D'Artaix today. Both wet and cold weather decimating the racing programme had seen the 34-year-old stranded on the 2,998 mark for a week-and-a-half.
But he arrived at Plumpton with decent prospects on each of his four rides.
Three mounts came courtesy of trainer Nicky Henderson. But relentless rain on what was already very wet ground made it a gruelling test, which counted against McCoy’s first chance Excape as he weakened to seventh in the opening Weatherbys Bank Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.
He reached the threshold in the Chris Poole And George Ennor Memorial Handicap Hurdle with a typically uncompromising performance aboard a horse who did not look keen to win.
Somehow, he forced the Jim Best-trained Hello Moscow (4-1) home by a neck. Things were to get worse before they got better, however.
McCoy looked certain to achieve the landmark in the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide 2009 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
The Co Antrim star sweated down to a lower-than-usual 10st 4lb to partner the well-backed 10-11 favourite Miss Sarenne and she needed only to jump the last to win when well clear — but buckled on landing and sent McCoy tumbling to the turf.
Henderson offered a consoling pat on the back on his trudge back to the weighing room — and the pair had to wait little more than half-an-hour for reward in the Tyser & Co Beginners’ Chase.
Restless D’Artaix (13-8 favourite) had been restricted to just one run in more than three years but was a respectable hurdler and had just enough in hand on the run-in to hold The Package and Timmy Murphy by a length.
McCoy was warmly congratulated by his fellow riders and offered three cheers by the crowd as he entered the winner’s enclosure — despite the continuing downpour.
“The attention has been very flattering — and the way people have been talking about it makes me feel as if it is an even better achievement,” he said. “I would never play it down — I have put in a lot of hard work and a lot of miles to ride 3000 winners.
“I am delighted to have achieved it and I hope there are plenty more to come.”
Reflecting on Miss Sarenne’s disappointment, he added: “I got down to do 10st 4lb, and she dived at the hurdle a little bit.
“That was disappointing for the owner and trainer. But I am a jump jockey, and you are always going to ride fallers. Last week was disappointing, because I had at least five or six odds-on shots and racing was off — but I never felt it wasn’t going to happen.”
McCoy insists he has lots of others to thank for helping him to such an achievement.
“I feel very privileged with the jockeys before me who were as good as or better than me who didn’t ride as many winners,” he said.
“I hope my mum and dad will be very proud and when (my daughter) Eve grows up someone will tell her I was an all right jockey.
“I have always worked for great people. I rode a lot of winners for Martin Pipe and am now lucky enough to be riding for JP McManus and Jonjo O’Neill. My agent Dave Roberts is a bigger workaholic than I am.
“I just have to ride as many more as possible. You always want to ride big winners on a Saturday — and I was lucky enough to ride two great horses this season in Binocular and Master Minded.
“I will move on to 3001 and carry on. Ask me if I’d ride 4000 winners — who knows? Never say never.”