Racing Thread

[arbboy]

Man is an absolute institution. Living proof of the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success. Also the absolute single-mindedness that sits between obsession/'motivation' that is necessary to become a true and enduring great at anything.

Unbelievable work ethic, and a feat that won't ever be even close to repeated.

On a side note, I fancy Festive Affair is a plot for this year's festival...

+1.  What an era we have had in sport in the last 10/15 years.  Tiger/Fed/AP/Taylor/Ronnie/Messi/Ronaldo.  The list just is huge of all time greats in their sports doing thing that will never be seen again.

[rfgqqabc]

Man is an absolute institution. Living proof of the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success. Also the absolute single-mindedness that sits between obsession/'motivation' that is necessary to become a true and enduring great at anything.

Unbelievable work ethic, and a feat that won't ever be even close to repeated.

On a side note, I fancy Festive Affair is a plot for this year's festival...

+1.  What an era we have had in sport in the last 10/15 years.  Tiger/Fed/AP/Taylor/Ronnie/Messi/Ronaldo.  The list just is huge of all time greats in their sports doing thing that will never be seen again.

Humans just keep getting faster, fitter, stronger. We've not peaked yet.

[bobby1]

He hasn't chucked many with 4000 winners.  Guess if you look hard enough you can find something to have a swipe at, but life is too short to be spending time looking.

Think he's earned his standing ovation.

7

Very much this for me, I rarely bet anything just coz he is on it but I've enjoyed watching him work for so many years it will be a sad day when he finishes. I just hope he gets to the end fit and well.

Wichita Lineman and Mountain Tunes my two fav rides.

[bobby1]

Just have to laugh at anyone that says McCoy is just a "good" jockey.

He has spent many of the last 20+ seasons riding many horses of moderate ability and isn't blessed being being given handpicked stables of premium purchases like Walsh/Geraghty/Twiston-Davies.

He has been grafting in sellers in June whilst Ruby et al sit on the beach in the Caribbean, and as Doobs says, you don't ride 4000 winners by being a serial "stopper". Ridic statement.

If McCoy has a chance, he will take it, and whilst I would agree that if he can't win, I have seen him pull up a horse easier/quicker, than say, a Dickie Johnson would, but that is part of the JP/Jonjo methodology. I have never seen him stop a horse that could have won that day. Yes, there may not be much value in backing McCoy and for the first ten years of his winning title, I would often pass over his mounts, much to my cost. Value smalue. Better a shorter price winner than another loser!

Over the last few years we have all seen and noted winning rides that only McCoy could have pulled off, his strength in the saddle is incredible. When he is on the horses of quality, he looks equally stylish to the Walshs of this world.

In his early days he was always intense and almost rude. Having met him on many occasions when he has ridden for Brooky, you realise he is actually a very shy bloke, and has worked hard to adapt to the person he is now.

I am sure Camel is just up to his usual and understands that by announcing his retirement McCoy and his team have probably a two fold strategy.

He has stated many times, he doesn't want to train, so he needs to plan for the future. Announcing his intentions early mean he can have all the offers of TV work etc ready and in place for when he does stop. I suspect if he got to the end and had nothing on the table, that's when the temptation is to carry on.
Secondly, as a proud man of principle, by going on a farewell tour, he is almost obliged to retire.

My abiding memory of him will be of a day a couple of years ago when I was on duty for Roger at Chepstow, when they had a hottie running at Kempton. McCoy was riding Dream Esteem for us and I was in a lot of pain from the dialysis treatment I was having and was due to have my transplant a week or so later. When hearing this MCCoy said he best try extra hard so I had the winners photo to cheer me up over the next few weeks. He rode a pearler and that photo still cheers me up to this day.

A true gent and a proper sporting great.



Apols to those who have sent me PM's last couple of weeks, I'm still Stateside, and not bothered logging on until now. GL all.

Great story that bud

[exstream]

Serious question
If McCoy so good, why didn't he have his pick of the rides

[tikay]

To be fair to the Camel, he later tweeted that he wasn't having a dig at McCoy, just thought he'd be more the kind of bloke to say I'm off on the last day rather than do a farewell tour.

I never saw Camel's subsequent Tweet, but "ego-massaging" was the part that caught my eye. What little I know of McCoy suggests that's the last thing he needs, & not why he announced as & when he did.

My whole point, really, is that it is rare that we see such dedication, talent & longevity on a sportsman, especially in such a fearfully dangerous sport as NH racing. Such a man deserves total respect, imo.

We don't see many people who are so pre-eminent in their sport. I guess, at my age, I've seen a few (Ali, Terry Payne, Woods, Phil Taylor, Joey Dunlop, Piggott, McCoy etc) & I alwys wish I'd bothered to watch them more when they were active. Once they are done, thats it.

[tikay]

Serious question
If McCoy so good, why didn't he have his pick of the rides

He had extremely lucrative Contractual committments, so he was not always free to "pick his rides".

I would have thought any Owner or Trainer would prefer McCoy over almost anyone else given the choice & chance. But many Yards contract a regular "first Jockey", so its not as straightforward as you suggest.

[tikay]

Most of the newspapers have printed tributes to McCoy yesteday or today, which, by their nature, are a bit sugar coated, but you'll have seen them.

For a left-field view, I spotted this on "Digital Spy".



2So, a grown up who sits on big animals and makes them run round a field faster than others, with the help of hitting it regularly, has decided it's time to stop.
Big f u c king deal."

Not sure what a man has to do to earn respect these days.

Anyone who has stood by a fence during a NH Chase knows how incredibly brave NH jockeys are. Can't be that many sports more dangerous, & where legs, arms & head are less protected from crashing falls & flying hooves.

Big f u c king deal

[arbboy]

Man is an absolute institution. Living proof of the importance of hard work and dedication in achieving success. Also the absolute single-mindedness that sits between obsession/'motivation' that is necessary to become a true and enduring great at anything.

Unbelievable work ethic, and a feat that won't ever be even close to repeated.

On a side note, I fancy Festive Affair is a plot for this year's festival...

+1.  What an era we have had in sport in the last 10/15 years.  Tiger/Fed/AP/Taylor/Ronnie/Messi/Ronaldo.  The list just is huge of all time greats in their sports doing thing that will never be seen again.

Humans just keep getting faster, fitter, stronger. We've not peaked yet.

I would strongly suggest that no one in our lifetime will do what the above guys have done.  Just because humans are getting stronger and faster doesn't mean the skills sets and drive of the players above will appear again any time soon.  Guys who make their sport looks effortlessly simple at the very top level week in week out for years.

[Marky147]

Most of the newspapers have printed tributes to McCoy yesteday or today, which, by their nature, are a bit sugar coated, but you'll have seen them.

For a left-field view, I spotted this on "Digital Spy".



2So, a grown up who sits on big animals and makes them run round a field faster than others, with the help of hitting it regularly, has decided it's time to stop.
Big f u c king deal."

Not sure what a man has to do to earn respect these days.

Anyone who has stood by a fence during a NH Chase knows how incredibly brave NH jockeys are. Can't be that many sports more dangerous, & where legs, arms & head are less protected from crashing falls & flying hooves.

Big f u c king deal

It's Digital Spy, so they'd love him if he had won the X-Factor!

[BigAdz]

Digital spy commenting on a sporting icon is much like me commenting on anorexia.

Interesting to note this features in Tikay reading material though.

[Marky147]

Digital spy commenting on a sporting icon is much like me commenting on anorexia.

Interesting to note this features in Tikay reading material though.

Come on, get tapping, we want some more racecourse jolly tales!

[NigDawG]

my dad took me to my first festival back in the year 2000. we'd travelled up 7am on the train and we'd had a bet on edredon bleu in the queen mother chase...

http://youtu.be/eJHDivrhtRE

i don't know how he did it, but he did. i re-watch this race about this time of year, every year, and it still gives me goosebumps. the sport will miss mccoy in the saddle and so will i.

[Marky147]

my dad took me to my first festival back in the year 2000. we'd travelled up 7am on the train and we'd had a bet on edredon bleu in the queen mother chase...

http://youtu.be/eJHDivrhtRE

i don't know how he did it, but he did. i re-watch this race about this time of year, every year, and it still gives me goosebumps. the sport will miss mccoy in the saddle and so will i.

Never seen that before, what a race!

[arbboy]

my dad took me to my first festival back in the year 2000. we'd travelled up 7am on the train and we'd had a bet on edredon bleu in the queen mother chase...

http://youtu.be/eJHDivrhtRE

i don't know how he did it, but he did. i re-watch this race about this time of year, every year, and it still gives me goosebumps. the sport will miss mccoy in the saddle and so will i.

Never seen that before, what a race!

Witcha lineman the best for me at chelt 2009 I think. Huge gamble on the day went off incredibly short and ended up laying it myself to some mates I was at chelt with.  Just typical McCoy powered it home from an impossible position and sent the punters home happy.

Johnson has been put in 10/11 for next years jockeys title.  He must be the unluckiest sportsman alive to have run into ap for his whole career.