McCoy claims 3,000th victory in lashing rain

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-11 10:58

PLUMPTON, England: Jumps jockey Tony McCoy reached his landmark 3,000th career victory at Plumpton on Monday.

The 34-year-old Northern Ireland native, a 13-time champion jockey, claimed his second winner of the afternoon when Restless D'Artaix, trained by Nicky Henderson, won the afternoon race.

"I am absolutely delighted and feel privileged to have ridden 3,000 winners," McCoy told reporters after spraying the crowd with a bottle of celebratory champagne.

"I don't see why it should stop at 3,000. I am very lucky to do something that I adore and that is the incentive."

McCoy moved on to 2,999 wins when he triumphed on Hello Moscow with his second ride of the day and he looked certain to reach the milestone on Miss Sarenne before his mount fell at the last hurdle when six lengths clear.

But half an hour later he was all smiles as he rode into the unsaddling enclosure surrounded by a crowd six deep, who launched into an impromptu chorus of three cheers.

He could not have passed the landmark in more atrocious conditions. The 125-year-old country course at Plumpton fringed by hills on the Sussex Downs was lashed by rain all day.

In the race he reached the landmark in, two of the fences were closed off because the course was so waterlogged.

McCoy, who rode his first winner in England in 1994, already held the record for most jumps race victories in Britain and Ireland.

Famous steeplechase

He has won every major race apart from the Grand National, the world's most famous steeplechase.

McCoy rarely goes a day without riding a winner but had been stuck on the 2,998 mark since Jan 29 with his efforts to reach the milestone scuppered by the cold snap in Britain which has caused the cancellation of many race meetings.

He rode his first winner at Thurles in Ireland in 1992 and his first success in England came two years later at Exeter.

"I've had a lot of winners since then, a lot of falls, a lot of injuries, a lot of good luck and a lot of bad luck," he said.

"But you have to actually love doing what you do to be lucky enough to be that successful and with all the guys I've worked for I've had the best opportunities in racing.

McCoy forged one of the most successful partnerships in British racing with 14-time champion trainer Martin Pipe before quitting his position as stable jockey to join up with Jonjo O'Neill in 2004.

Asked if he had thought about the possibility of riding 3,500 or 4,000 winners, McCoy replied: "Every day".

McCoy has also ridden nine winners under flat racing rules.