Jockeys & Trainers / Wayne Bailey / 27 January 2009 / Leave a comment

Tony McCoy may be a teetotaller but that doesn't stop Wayne Bailey raising a few pints of the black stuff to salute the jockey's remarkable achievements...

As he approaches winner number 3000, now would be a good time to look back on the incredible career of one of the greatest sportsmen of our time.

Of course, a few hundred words can never do Tony McCoy justice and his work rate, up to this day, is nothing short of phenomenal. He's won the British jockey championship every season since 1995/96 and already sits on top of the table this year - 42 wins clear of Richard Johnson.

But some of us were ahead of the posse, and when Kilbeggan Blade won a novices' hurdle at Towcester just over a week ago, some racing friends and I raised a few pints of the black stuff to McCoy's winner number 3000 (we included his flat wins!). Any excuse eh?

But the real magic figure over jumps is fast approaching so now is a time to celebrate Tony McCoy's many achievements. When that horse crosses the line, the always modest McCoy is likely to brush his latest feat aside as just another winner - so it's up to others to sing his praises.

McCoy was born in Moneyglass (Antrim) in the mid-1970s and his ability in the saddle was soon noticed. Before long, he ended up in County Carlow with the incredibly strict but highly progressive Jim Bolger. As anyone involved with Bolger will tell you, his yard is extremely disciplined, and the teetotaller won't tolerate any messing about from his staff. It might not be very PC these days, but even on a Sunday there is no lie-in and no-matter what country or creed you belong to, you're up at 7am for mass - believers and atheists alike! The fact that a certain Aidan O'Brien was a former student of Bolger is a testament to the trainer's mentoring abilities...

Bolger's discipline and work ethic rubbed off on McCoy (also a non-drinker) and he often cites the Master of Coolcullen as one of his major life influences. McCoy was quite tall and heavy for the flat, so soon switched to the jumping game where his ability to 'carry' a struggling horse across the winning line has since become legendary. He moved to England in 1994 and soon hooked up with Martin Pipe, a partnership which would go on to achieve huge levels of success. The legendary Irish gambler JP McManus (once known as 'The Sundance Kid' for his ability to clean out bookie satchels in the ring) now retains McCoy to ride his horses, many of whom are trained by fellow Irishman Jonjo O'Neill.

The one race that has eluded McCoy as yet is the greatest steeplechase of all, The Grand National. If the lack of a win bothers him, he doesn't let it show, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility of his name being added to the list of winning jockeys before his career is out.

He may be one of the greatest jockeys of our time, but the problem with backing McCoy's horses is that half of Britain and Ireland are also doing so, which ensures that prices are always restrictive. However, if I don't provide some stats and strategies I'm sure it won't be long before someone posts below asking for some, so here's a few McCoy pointers that may still pay their way:

Trainer

As mentioned, McCoy normally rides for Jonjo O'Neill due to his retainer, but it's always worth noting when he teams up with Nicky Henderson. Indeed, since 2003, they've had 33 winners from 90 races and had you put £10 on each, you'd show a profit of over £96. 2009 is going great for the pair with five wins from ten races.

Race Type

McCoy's ability to get the best out of both poorer horses and inexperienced types is unrivalled, and following such horses may still prove profitable. When riding in beginners, maiden and novice chases (non-handicap), he has had 196 winners from 517 races and shows a profit of £160 to £10 stakes since 2003.

Courses

I've asked a few jockeys whether they have their favourite courses to ride at and nearly all do. McCoy is particularly successful at Towcester and Leicester where collectively he's had 57 winners from 167 races since 2003, and shows a profit of over £400 to £10 stakes.

Fallers

An interesting one this, and I believe that two factors are coming into play here. When McCoy rides horses that fell or unseated the rider last time out (and McCoy himself was the jockey), he shows a win rate of nearly 30% and a profit of over £130 to £10 stakes (16 wins from 57 races). I've two theories as to why this shows a profit. Firstly, McCoy is a very determined individual and will be extra keen to 'get it right' with a horse that fell/unseated him last time out. Secondly, punters often shy away from horses with U or F beside their name and let them go off at bigger prices than they should on occasion. It's just a theory, but it will be interesting to see if it works in the future.