Barbury trainer Alan King gives McCoy a farewell victory at the Cheltenham Festival
AP's winning salute (Photo from Channel 4 Racing)It might have been just another Grade One victory for AP McCoy - the nineteen times jump champion jockey who retires at the end of this season. But his victory in the Ryanair Chase on the Alan King trained Uxizandre was all the sweeter as it put McCoy on the winners' board for his last ever Cheltenham Festival.
McCoy gave the 16-1 shot a perfect ride from the front and the pair had plenty left in the tank to fend off of the challenge of runner-up Ma Filleule on Cheltenham's famous home-run hill. The seven year-old gelding won by five lengths.
With another huge crowd for the third day of the Cheltenham Festival, McCoy was cheered into the winner's enclosure and was quick to praise Alan King:
"All credit to the trainer - he got him back spot on for the day that mattered. Uxizandre gave me such a thrilling ride. I'll miss days like this."
Uxizandre is owned by JP McManus who McCoy calls 'my boss': "It's great for JP and Noreen MacManus - they are brilliant and it's been marvellous to work for them for ten years. The thrill this horse gave me - I'll miss riding horses like this that run away with you all the way and jump like stags."
![AP with his Ryanair Chase trophy - his wife Chanelle is on the right [Photo: Channel 4 Racing]](/cache/6/06b62e8337f2b09e546b3b2a6a9b92a8.jpg)
AP with his Ryanair Chase trophy - his wife Chanelle is on the right [Photo: Channel 4 Racing]Alan King was full of smiles after this important win: "That was grand...AP has given him a wonderful ride, the visor has probably helped as well. It all felt right. When he's on song, he can go a right gallop...he got into a great rhythm today."
And King paid tribute to McCoy: "AP has been just phenomenal - we'll never see his like again. The winners, the dedication, the commitment - he's quite remarkable. I'm just please to be a very, very small part of it."
The prize money for the race was £300,000 of which the winning owner received £178,538.25.
Smad Place gets a pre-race gallop at Newbury (November 2014)Tomorrow (Friday, March 13) is Gold Cup day and Alan King's yard will be represented by the 7 year-old grey gelding Smad Place.
King says of him: "Smad Place has a good record at the Festival and this is his time of the year, besides which the better ground will also help. We gave him time to recover after the Hennessy [at Newbury on 29 November 2014] , and he showed plenty of enthusiasm on [Cheltenham] Trials day."
French-bred Smad Place will be ridden by King's stable jockey Wayne Hutchinson. And AP McCoy will be on Carlingford Lough - and again he will be wearing the McManus colours.