'That's what McCoy is all about' - the punters' pal and a Cheltenham Festival legend

Introducing our cast of legendary Cheltenham characters. A new instalment will be published twice a week leading up to this year's Cheltenham Festival. Today – Tony McCoy.

What made him great

Tony McCoy, or AP as he is known and now Sir Anthony McCoy, is widely acknowledged as the greatest jump jockey. Having won the conditionals' title in his first season in Britain, the brilliant rider from Northern Ireland proceeded to add 20 consecutive senior championships before quitting the saddle in 2015.

Known for his implacable will to win, McCoy possessed the key attributes essential to Cheltenham success – strength, timing, courage, composure, tenacity – and produced a series of memorable moments at the festival.

Inducted into the Cheltenham Hall of Fame in 2012, he is quite simply a living legend.

The early years

Having drawn a blank at his first festival, McCoy was determined to make his mark second time out in 1996. He was on his way to the first of his 20 jockeys' titles, but as he said later: "It was important for me to ride a winner at Cheltenham that year. You need the big winners as well as the copious amounts of them."

His festival first came aboard the Philip Hobbs-trained Kibreet in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase and he was off and running. The following year brought a coveted Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double on Make A Stand and Mr Mulligan, along with the leading rider award.

In 1998 he was top dog again, this time with a then joint-record five winners from the 20 races at the festival.

Tony McCoy with Martin Pipe, the man who moulded him into a perpetual championCredit: Edward Whitaker

The huge gamble

Landing a massive gamble is a surefire way to earn a place in Cheltenham folklore, and that's exactly what McCoy did in 1998 on Unsinkable Boxer. The hopes of the Martin Pipe stable, as well as countless punters, were pinned on McCoy and the red-hot 5-2 favourite for the Unicoin Homes Gold Card Handicap Hurdle Final.

As they left the parade ring, Pipe told McCoy he was sitting on the biggest certainty to ever walk out at Cheltenham. "If I didn't feel under pressure beforehand, I sure as hell felt under pressure after that," McCoy wrote in his autobiography.

It didn't show. This was McCoy at his coolest, biding his time after tucking Unsinkable Boxer away in the 24-runner pack. Once they emerged to take the lead on the bit with two to jump, the race was as good as over. Unsinkable Boxer cruised home by four lengths and McCoy's reputation as a punters' pal was assured.

The greatest ride

It wasn't a championship or even a Grade 1, but the 2009 William Hill Handicap Chase won by Wichita Lineman remains one of the most brilliantly vivid races in the Cheltenham collection.

Many eyes were focused on the 5-1 favourite and for much of the three-mile contest it was painful viewing. A serious blunder at the ninth fence was followed by more mistakes at the tenth and 15th, by which time McCoy still had a dozen in front of him. His whip was up, his head was down, and he was having to push and cajole for all he was worth.

Tony McCoy and Wichita Lineman get down to work after the final fence in the William Hill Handicap ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Another error at the third-last seemed the final straw, but McCoy did not give up. He threw everything at Wichita Lineman, driving his mount back into contention. When he moved towards the stands' side in the straight, the roar from the packed stands seemed to give him an extra burst of energy.

McCoy was still only third jumping the last but he was in full cry, and so too were his fervent fans. He chiselled away at a four-length deficit until, with one last mighty surge, he got up to win by a neck. Winning trainer Jonjo O'Neill summed it up perfectly: "That's what McCoy is all about. He was just magic."

Bowing out

The last of McCoy's 31 festival winners came aboard the Alan King-trained Uxizandre in the 2015 Ryanair Chase. Everyone knew it was his last festival and there was intense longing for a McCoy winner to mark the occasion, not least from the man himself. "I knew how desperately he wanted a winner. More so than ever I've seen him before," said wife Chanelle.

Uxizandre's triumph was cheered to the rafters, but emotions ran even higher after his final festival ride in the Grand Annual, which had been renamed in his honour. Having finished fourth on Ned Buntline, the champ was given a huge ovation from the walkway to the winner's enclosure. "The crowd here is amazing," he said. "I'm going to miss being a jockey here, that's for sure."

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