AP McCoy set to race one last time
Record-breaking jump jockey AP McCoy will make his final racetrack appearance this afternoon (Saturday 25 April) when he rides at Sandown.
A bumper crowd of fans is expected to be at the Surrey track to see the popular star of the sport ride one last time.
The racecourse has totally sold out in all enclosures — and there will be no tickets at the gate for those who had hoped to come along.
AP is due to ride Mr Mole in the 3.15 and Box Office in the 4.25.
After nearly two decades at the top of the sport, AP announced at Newbury on 7 February that he planned to retire at the end of the season.
“I want to go out at the top, and as champion jockey. I want to go out while I still enjoy riding,” he said.
It was a shock revelation, and a decision he said had been made following discussions with owner JP McManus and his long-standing agent Dave Roberts.
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“Time waits for no man in sport and it’s not going to wait for me,” he added. “I will really miss it. I love riding, I love the thrill of it and I’ll never find anything to replace that buzz but I’m aware in sport you can’t keep going forever.”
AP, who turns 41 on 4 May, has won more than 4,300 races and was the first jockey to be named BBC Sports Personality of the year when he won in 2010.
Since he revealed his plans to retire crowds have been piling into racecourses to see him in action.
The jockey will also pick up his 20th consecutive championship title on Saturday.
“We are thrilled to have such a bumper crowd at Sandown Park to not only celebrate the end of a fantastic jump season but also the phenomenal career of 20 times champion jockey, AP McCoy. He will be honoured during the end of season awards and throughout the afternoon. It is a real privilege for Sandown Park to be a part of this historic day,” said Rupert Trevelyan of the Jockey Club.
All the racing will be live on Channel 4 from 1pm.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.