Tony McCoy
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Tony McCoy (born May 4, 1974 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland) is a British thoroughbred horse racing jockey.
McCoy has broken numerous records since he started riding in England in 1994. He was soon off to a flying start by claiming a record 74 winners as a conditional jockey. Since then he has gone from strength to strength. The following season he was champion jockey, a feat that he has repeated in each of the five following years. During that run he has also set a new National Hunt record for winners in a season (253) and also become the fastest jockey to reach the 1000 winner mark. To cap it all Tony then beat Sir Gordon Richards record for winners in a season for all types of racing in 2002. In unstoppable form he posted a new high of 289 winners. Well in fact that didn't quite cap it all as Tony in 2002 surpassed [Richard Dunwoody]'s record of all time jumps winners. Tony has now ridden over 2000 winners during his career.
Winner of both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle he has yet to win the Grand National. For my money he is head and shoulders the best jockey riding in this country today in either code and it won't be long before he is recognised as the greatest ever jump jockey. Whilst it can be argued that a large percentage of his winners are fed to him by the equally brilliant Martin Pipe, there is no doubt that Tony makes horses win races that simply wouldn't even be up with the pace in the hands of some of his competitors.
First winner: Legal Steps at Thurles on March 26, 1992.
Joined [Toby Balding] at start of 1994/5 season after riding 13 winners (six on the Flat) in Ireland.
First winner in Britain: Chickabiddy at Exeter on September 7, 1994.
Champion conditional jockey: 1994/5 with 74 winners – at the time a record for the number of wins by a conditional jockey (he finished 7th in the full jockeys’ championship).
Lost right to claim: Won on Romany Creek at Nottingham on February 28, 1995.
Champion jockey: 1995/6, 1996/7, 1997/8, 1998/9, 1999/2000, 2000/1, 2001/2, 2002/3.
Best season: 289 winners in 2001/2 (a British jumps record).
1,000th winner: Majadou, Cheltenham, December 11, 1999.
1,500th winner: Celtic Native, Exeter, December, 2001.
Seasonal totals of winners: 1994/5 74; 1995/6 175; 1996/7 189; 1997/8 253; 1998/9 186; 1999/2000 245; 2000/1 191; 2001/2 289; 2002/3 68.
100th winner of 1996/7: Class of Ninetytwo at Warwick on November 21, beating Peter Scudamore’s record by 30 days.
100th winner of 1997/8: Sam Rockett at Newton Abbot on November 5, beating his own record by 16 days.
100th winner of 2001/2: Present Bleu at Plumpton on September 17, beating his own record by seven weeks.
150th winner of 1997/8: Jymjam Johnny at Bangor-On-Dee on December 17, beating Peter Scudamore’s record by 51 days.
150th winner of 2001/2: Tarxien at Cheltenham on November 18, beating his own record by 29 days.
200th winner of 1997/8: Fataliste at Kempton on February 28, beating Peter Scudamore’s record by 58 days.
200th winner of 1999/2000: Mr Cool at Sandown on February 18, beating his own record by 10 days and becoming the first British jump jockey to make it to 200 twice.
200th winner of 2001/2: Native Man at Huntingdon on January 11 beating his own record by 38 days.
222nd winner of 1997/8: Petite Risk at Ludlow on March 25, 1998.
250th winner of 1997/8: Stage Fright at Perth on May 14, 1998.
250th winner of 2001/2: Going Global at Plumpton on February 25, 2002.
254th winner of 2001/2 (new record): Firetree at Huntingdon on March 2, 2002.
Beat Sir Gordon Richards’ record of 269 winners in a season on Valfonic at Warwick on April 2 2002 and he ended the campaign on 289.
Became second-most winning jump jockey when beating Peter Scudamore’s total of 1,678 on Polar Champ at Newton Abbot on July 28.
Became winning-most British jump jockey when beating Richard Dunwoody’s total of 1,699 on Mighty Montefalco at Uttoxeter on August 27, 2002.
Champion Hurdle winner: Make A Stand 1997.
Cheltenham Gold Cup winner: Mr Mulligan 1997.
Equalled the record with five winners at the 1998 Cheltenham Festival.
Other big winners: Blowing Wind (Imperial Cup & County Hurdle 1998), Champleve (Arkle Chase 1998), Chicuelo (Tote Scoop6 Summer Plate Handicap Chase), Cyfor Malta (Cathcart Chase, John Hughes Trophy & Murphy’s Gold Cup 1998, Pillar Property Chase 1999), Deano’s Beeno (EDS Long Distance Hurdle 2000), Edredon Bleu (Grand Annual Chase 1998, Queen Mother Champion Chase 2000, ladbrokescasino.com Championship Chase 2001), Eudipe (Anthony Mildmay, Peter Cazalet Memorial Handicap Chase 1999), Galant Moss (Mitie Group Novices’ Chase 2000), Hors La Loi III (Citroen Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 1999), Iznogoud (Gerard Tolworth Hurdle 2001), Kibreet (Grand Annual Handicap Chase 1996), Lady Cricket (Thomas Pink Gold Cup 2000), Legal Right (Tommy Whittle Chase 2001), Majadou (Mildmay of Flete Chase 1999), Master Beveled (Agfa Hurdle 1998), Northern Starlight (Tripleprint Gold Cup 1998, John Hughes Chase 2000), Polar Red (Imperial Cup 2002), Pridwell (Martell Hurdle 1998), Rainwatch (Finale Juvenile Hurdle 1997), Rodock (Murphy’s Draughtflow Hurdle 1999), Royal Auclair (Cathcart Challenge Cup 2002), See More Business (Crowngap Winter Novices’ Hurdle 1995, Rising Stars Novices’ Chase 1996), Shaunies Lady (Murphys Irish Stout Four-Year-Old Hurdle 1996), Shooting Light (Thomas Pink Gold Cup & Tote Silver Cup 2001), Southampton (Daily Telegraph Novices’ Handicap Chase 1996), Upgrade (First National Gold Cup 2000), Viking Flagship (Melling Chase 1996), Unsinkable Boxer (Gold Card Hurdle Final & Belle Epoque Novices’ Hurdle 1998), Warm Spell (Bic Razor Lanzarote Hurdle 1996), Westender (Rehabilitation Of Racehorses Hurdle 2001), Zabadi (Glenlivet Anniversary Hurdle 1996).
