Being AP Page #7

Fence four from the finish there.

Mr Mole on the left,

comes through to take it upside,

Drewson Era in third position.

Uxizandre's in second.

Here's the final one

of the ditches now and Mr Mole

at the third last fence

comes in towards him,

over safely. And Sire De Grugy has

unseated Jamie Moore!

Sire De Grugy on sixth,

Jamie Moore on the third lap.

And Mr Mole is left clear.

Officer Longblood has joined Uxizandre in

the second position. And the second last.

And it's AP on Mr Mole

as he heads down towards the final fence,

he's fifteen lengths ahead.

Uxizandre with the riderless

Sire De Grugy next to him.

Upsilon Bleu is next at the final obstacle.

Mr Mole up and over the last safely.

Uxziandre's unseated Barry Geraghty at the

last to leave Upsilon Bleu in third position.

Good Answer in fourth.

And it's Mr Mole, messed

around at the start,

but he will give AP McCoy

his two hundredth winner of the season.

200 of the season for Tony McCoy,

it's doubtful he's ridden many

more dramatic races this year.

I'm going to read off a stat here.

I know. I hope you don't just

take it lightly but it's your tenth time

that you've brought up

a double century of winners.

That is quite an incredible achievement.

I'm going to tell

you something else,

it's going to be the last time

I ride 200 winners.

Because, I'm going to

be retiring at the end of the season,

- so there's a bit of news for you.

- But...

That is a bit of a bombshell, what's

been the deciding factor in that, AP?

Ah, look. It's just, um...

I want to go out at the top,

I want to go out as champion jockey,

it'll be my twentieth year

if I can win the Jockey's

championship and...

And, I want to go out while I still enjoy

riding. And while I'm still at the top, so...

My mum and dad don't even know

so they're going to find out on television.

So, I think they'll be happy, to be fair.

Well, AP that is amazing news,

just all I can say is congratulations

and well done.

AP's just announced he's retiring

at the end of the season.

A shell-shocked winners

enclosure here at Newbury.

Twenty's a good number

and I still enjoy it,

I wanted to, hopefully, quit while I was

still riding a race or two.

Because I'd really like to

go out at the top, so...

Uh, look,

time waits for no man

and it's not going to wait for me.

- It's quite an emotional now?

- I am, because I love riding.

- You must be very happy lately.

- I am, but I don't know, it's just...

It's funny because you don't

know whether you feel happy or sad,

but I think it's definitely a mix of both.

What are you going to do? Get a job?

You're just milking

the PR again, aren't you?

- Milking it.

- You know what?

No pressure to keep on.

Next year might, just might be your year.

No pressure on you, Richard.

Huh? I mean,

I could just finish with you.

Anyway. Here's to a new life,

here's to a new husband.

Here's to a husband! I can have him on

a Saturday and Sunday night.

- Maybe?

- Yeah.

What's the best decision

you've ever made,

with regards to your riding career?

I think to become a jockey was

the best decision I ever made at all.

I've got a great way of life

and I will really miss it.

So I don't know what I'm going to...

I'll never find anything that's

going to replace that buzz but

I'm aware in sport you can't

keep going forever.

Thank you.

AP McCoy, quite simply a legend.

"On holiday in Dubai with the

family, just got back to room

"and loads of texts on phone

about the husband's announcement.

"I know it was going to always happen

someday, but my God, I'm still speechless,

"the void left will be unfulfilled.

"Love to you all

and see you soon, Graham and Becky Lee."

Tch. Aw.

That is sweet.

That was a lot of sadness.

I don't think it's probably the first time

that I've probably won a race.

Didn't really think that I'd just won or

didn't really think that I was really happy.

You know, because of what was ahead.

Convincing yourself to, you know,

now is the time you have to spit it out.

Well, it's a day

we've all been looking forward to.

The start of the festival.

The biggest event of its type in the sport,

with four days of the most

brilliant racing in prospect.

But there's going to be

a strange feel about this year's festival.

Because we all... It's going to be

the last time we're going to see

AP, the champ in action...

There is nowhere,

nowhere like Cheltenham,

and as a Jockey, you'll always be judged on

the amount of winners you rode there.

There's been

so much written, Tony, about this week

and you in particular because

it will be your final festival.

Has that in anyway affected your

preparations or thinking?

Um, not really to be

honest, I'm quite lucky,

that whenever I get out on a horse,

then I'm pretty much on my own anyway.

So I'm quite good at blanking it all out.

It'll be a little different this year

obviously because I know that this is

the last chance really

and it's going to be very different than

it ever has been before,

so I'm going to try and enjoy it but

it's like any sport,

it's a lot easier to enjoy it

when you're winning, so...

It's important to try and win.

Tony, many thanks indeed. That'll be all.

The great legendary Tony McCoy.

He really is up there with some

of the greatest sportsmen in the world

and of course all eyes will be on him

at Cheltenham this week

and should he ride further winners here,

it literally will bring the house down.

Twelve o'clock

on Tuesday at Cheltenham,

especially for the first race,

you could hear a pin drop,

but once it gets started

and the first winner's in,

it becomes business as usual again.

And obviously the highs are higher

and the lows are lower.

It's high pressure, tense,

it's what can define a year for everyone.

A winner there means a hell of a lot

and you have to be mentally tough

going to Cheltenham, because

however how much success you have there,

there's going to be more disappointments

than there is delight.

The pressure is slightly

more on you for those four days.

And it can be a very long week if things

don't go, you know, go your way,

it can be the longest

week of the year I think.

Here it becomes a real reality

and it could only happen here at

Cheltenham. No other place in the world,

it brings those dreams to fruition,

it's wonderful.

For AP he knows, he ain't going to get

another chance,

this is it. And if he

doesn't ride a winner here,

he will never be able to go back there

and that will... That will haunt.

They're off.

And as they head down to the first

of eight flights.

But Douvan has taken it up,

as they race to the final flight.

He's suddenly over. And he's getting away.

Douvan, five lengths, too good,

Douvan wins the Supreme.

A shake of the hands from Ruby Walsh.

A great start to the meeting

for the festivals leading rider, and hot

favourite to be leading rider this week.

Douvan 2-1 favourite,

Douvan wins the first race of the meeting.

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