Eight out of 4348: The defining victories of AP McCoy’s career

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

Retirement at the age of 40 doesn't seem so bad and especially when you retire on your own terms. This weekend will see the finest jockey of his, and probably any other generation, hang up his whip for a final time. Tony McCoy turns 41 on May 4 and in the 24 years since his first ever win at Thurles the Antrim man has won Gold Cups, Aintree Grand Nationals and has been champion jockey for 20 years in a row. Not bad going for a jockey who was initially set to for a career flat racing until a broken leg at 17 and a growth spurt saw him switch to jumps.

1. A legend is born

We have a feeling that horsey men and women in Tipperary may do a Munster and the All-Blacks on this one with everyone in the county claiming to have been at the scene of AP's first ever win. It came aboard a Jim Bolger mount by the name of Legal Steps

26th March 1992 17 year old A.P.McCoy on his first ever winner Legal Steps @thurlesraces for boss Jim Bolger. pic.twitter.com/FJeKpPLJ8f — Anaglogs Daughter (@AnaglogsDaughtr) March 29, 2015

It would be a full two years later before McCoy would get a winner in Britain but he still retained the boyish looks even at 20 when taking home the spoils on board Gordon Edwards Chickabiddy. A 7-1 winner stung the bookies not for the first time in his career.

A.P.McCoy's first ever winner in England CHICKABIDDY at Exeter in 1994 pic.twitter.com/EAYF7pKUwD — Anaglogs Daughter (@AnaglogsDaughtr) April 10, 2015

@AP_McCoy, Chickabiddy, Gordon and Angela Edwards after winning the William Hill Diamond Jubilee H H 7/9/94 at Exeter pic.twitter.com/NRSI9UTwSF — Exeter Racecourse (@ExeterRaces) November 3, 2013

.@AP_McCoy after CHICKABIDDY gave him his first jumps winner (as tweeted by @ExeterRaces) He's back there Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/D1n9HgR9my — Channel 4 Racing (@Channel4Racing) November 3, 2013

2. His first Gold Cup win

1997 was the year that McCoy burst into the public eye with an incredible performance at Cheltenham. He secured a first Champion Hurdle on board Make A Stand, also won the Arkle Challenge Trophy and claimed his first ever Gold Cup on Mr Mulligan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvTrGoc4r4A

Mr Mulligan gave @AP_McCoy his first Gold Cup win in 1997. #CheltenhamMemories pic.twitter.com/lKQHUEUbov — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 12, 2015

3. History made once again at Cheltenham

On his way to another champion jockey crown in the 1999-2000 season he surpasses the 1000th mark on a cold December afternoon at Cheltenham. McCoy saddled Majadou and romped home to record another career milestone on the 13th December.

4. In a photo finish you want AP on your side

Won by a nose hair. That's the only way we can think the stewards decided that AP managed to secure another famous win at Cheltenham in 2000 when he steered home Edredon Bleu from Direct Route in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The last fence when all three horses jump together sets up probably the greatest finish to a race ever at Cheltenham.

5. The easiest win of his life

If any other jockey in the world gets unseated by their horse it's race over. Not AP. After all seven starters failed to make it around the course at Southwell in January of 2002, he remounted Family Business after a fall at fence eleven and took home a victory without any opposition.

6. Grand National success at last

It's hard to believe that McCoy will sign off from his career with just two Grand National's to his name. His first success came in Ireland in 2007 on board Butlers Cabin at 14-1 for JP McManus and Jonjo O'Neill with the Aintree Grand National chalked off three years later with Don't Push It.

7. 4000 and counting

Mountain Tunes. It's a name that will live long in pub quiz history as the horse that brought McCoy his 4000th career success at Towcester on the 7th of November 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7nOfSk474M

8. His final Cheltenham success

31 winners at the festival of national hunt racing with his final success on board Uxizandre in the Ryanair Chase last month. The reception the Antrim received afterwards was just a glimpse of the warmth felt for the jockey