McCoy breaks record again

Tony McCoy yesterday shook off the memory of a week of bad falls by smashing his own record for the fastest 200 winners by a …

Tony McCoy yesterday shook off the memory of a week of bad falls by smashing his own record for the fastest 200 winners by a jump jockey.

The workaholic rider, driven to frustration when cold weather stopped all National Hunt racing last week and then by several falls and losers in the past few days, reached his double century on Native Man at Huntingdon.

He won the Insight Of Doncaster Handicap Chase on the Jonjo O'Neill-trained eight-year-old, in the colours of Anne, Duchess of Westminster, made famous by legendary Irish chaser Arkle.

He brought home the 6 to 1 second favourite by an easy eight lengths from Mill Orchid. McCoy said: "I'm lucky that I'm in the position to ride a lot of good horses. I'd like to think it was going to come eventually. Obviously, the sooner you get it out of the way the better.

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"I didn't have many real good rides today but I had lots of chances. Jonjo thought this horse would win. He has had plenty of problems but he did fancy him." He added that he thought Selberry in the previous race had a very good chance as well.

"I would be bored if I was at home. If I wasn't okay, I wouldn't ride," said McCoy.

The champion jockey had to pass the course doctor after giving up his last two rides at Wincanton on Thursday because of a muscle strain in his neck. And that was a direct result of three falls he had at Newbury on Wednesday which left him battered and bruised and nursing stitches in a head wound.

The six-times champion had 11 losers since powering to 199 with a double at Hereford on Tuesday. It broke his own mark by 38 days, having set the previous best when reaching 200 on February 18th in the 1999/2000 season.

McCoy ended that campaign with 245 winners and he is determined to beat that final total this term as he has his sights on Flat jockey Sir Gordon Richards' tally of 269 in 1947 - the record under either code in Britain.

The Irishman, who holds the current jumps best with 253, is quoted by the Tote at 1 to 4 to break the record. The firm also offers 6 to 4 against his reaching a remarkable 300 before the season ends.

The Real McCoy: A jumping genius

1994/95: Broke record for most winners in a season by a conditional jockey with 74.

1996/97: Reached 100 winners on November 21st, beating Peter Scudamore's record by 30 days.

1997/98: Reached 200 winners in February 28th, beating

Scudamore's record by 58 days. Rode a total of 253 winners,

beating Scudamore's record by 32. Equalled record for most

winners ridden at a single Cheltenham Festival with five.

1999/2000: Reached 1,000 career winners in Britain in

five years and 95 days. Reached 200 winners on February

18th, beating his own record by 10 days.

2001/2002: Reached 100 winners on September 17th,

beating his own record by seven weeks. Reached 200 winners on January 11th, beating his own record by 38 days.