McCoy reaches 200 winners
11 January 2002
Tony McCoy beats own record for the fastest 200 winners in a season
Tony McCoy shrugged off three days of frustration to break his own record for the fastest 200 winners in a season at Huntingdon on Friday.
The six-times champion stormed home on the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Native Man, carrying the Anne, Duchess of Westminster colours made famous by Arkle, in the Insight of Doncaster Handicap Chase.
McCoy’s previous fastest double century was not completed until February 18, so he is well ahead of schedule. His target now is to break Sir Gordon Richards’s 1947 record of 269 winners in a season. He has 83 days of jump racing left before the end of the campaign on April 27.
McCoy had been stuck on the 199-mark for three days and suffered the rare experience of three falls at Newbury on Wednesday. Since then he has been riding with stitches in his neck.
After jumping the last clear of his field on Native Man McCoy gave a couple of cheeky looks between his leg to check where the opposition was. It was good to see there were no histrionics as he passed the post, none of the usual punching the air or finger waving. Just professional to the end, concentrating on keeping Native Man balanced as he pulled him up.
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“I am relieved to have this over and out of the way,” he said. “You must remember I am very lucky to be in a position to ride all these good horses.
“Jonjo [O’Neill] told my agent Dave Roberts he thought Native Man would win and he was spot on,” said McCoy, adding: “My neck is stiff rather than sore, but if I had decided to stay at home today I would have been very bored watching this horse win!”
McCoy heads for Warwick on Saturday with a bag full of fancied mounts as he challenges Sir Gordon Richards’s record.
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