McCoy equals Pipe’s career tally

Tony McCoy equalled Martin Pipe’s career tally of 4,191 winners with a typically powerful ride to get On The Record home first at Uttoxeter.

The evens favourite made hard work of lifting the 32Red On The App Store Handicap Hurdle.

Bangkok Pete pushed On the Record all the way and the race could have gone either way from the final flight.

However, McCoy got the Jonjo O’Neill-trained six-year-old, owned by his boss J P McManus, home by a neck much to the delight of his supporters.

McCoy recorded his fastest-ever half-century of winners last month at Worcester and is now on the 75 mark for the campaign so it is full steam ahead in his quest to become the first man to ride 300 winners in a season.

The 19-times champion’s best remains the 289 he rode in 2001-2.

McCoy told At The Races: “I made hard work of it. I was a bit conscious we went steady. Down the back I thought I’d better get him a bit closer because he’s not a quick horse.

“Then he just started to wander about and have a look and was probably going to win over the last but decided to stop and it was only when a horse came by him that I got him going again in time thankfully. It’s nice that he won.

“I’ve had a few steering jobs and I was hoping one would win and this horse was appropriately named. It’s nice that it’s one of Jonjo’s and one of JP’s.

“The thing with me and Mr Pipe is that it’s just a personal thing. We’ve a lot of friends and there’s been a lot of banter for a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went to Newmarket for a trainer’s course. I hope I’ve driven him mad.”

On The Record was McCoy’s second ride of the afternoon at the Staffordshire track after Zip Wire had failed to trouble the judge in the 32Red Casino Novices’ Hurdle won by Nathans Pride.

McCoy has been targeting Pipe’s all-time tally since chalking up his 4,000 winner at Towcester in November.

The record-breaking rider was formerly Pipe’s stable jockey but has been retained by owner J P McManus since 2004.

Pipe was champion trainer 15 times until he handed over the reins to his son David in April 2006.