It came as a shock to many but, as he has done throughout his long and distinguished career, AP McCoy had the timing just about right in announcing his retirement from the saddle at the end of the current jumps season live on Channel 4 on Saturday after 25 years in the saddle.
We will never see his like again and his records are likely to stand for a very long time; his extraordinary will-to-win and never-say-die attitude made him the punters pal for almost a quarter of a century but I am convinced it is the right decision and will make the forthcoming spring Festivals at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown even more emotionally charged.
We have opened a market on who will succeed AP next season (he will be crowned Champion again at Sandown for a 20th time in April) as champion jumps jockey and it is a fascinating market.
Any other jockey has been well supported in the opening salvos and if Barry Geraghty was to take up a retainer in Britain for leading owner JP McManus that 6/1 for any other jockey would look very attractive but as great (not good) a jockey as Geraghty is does he have the hunger to ride at Plumpton on a Monday, Towcester on a Tuesday and Ludlow on a Wednesday? I wonder.
Jump jockeys title 2015/16; prices from BetVictor:
Richard Johnson 4/6 (from 4/7)
Sam Twiston-Davies 7/2
Tom Scudamore 6/1 (from 11/2)
Any other jockey 6/1 (from 10s)
Jason Maguire 7/1
McCoy will be at Catterick on Monday where he has a couple of mounts; Dewala is 8lbs higher than when scoring at Doncaster last month and this decent ground suits but I am going to take a chance on Malcolm Jefferson’s Our Boy Ben (3.10) coming back from a 250 day lay-off. The yard have been very quiet of late and this will be their first runner in February; the selection is a half-brother to According To Pete and has bits of form which suggest he may be well handicapped at present.
Red Devil Boys (3.40) makes his handicap debut and this winning point-to-pointer can give McCoy his winner. The selection jumped poorly at Wetherby last time but this step up in trip will suit and he gets the vote in a hot little race. Saint Are is another well-handicapped sort for Tom George but the John Ferguson-trained 8-y-old Red Devil Boys can score.
Plumpton hosts a couple of excellent chases and as long as the ground is no worse than good to soft I am going to throw a couple of quid each way at Representingceltic (3.50) who I thought ran a race full of promise at Newbury on his return from a 15-month lay-off back in December.
Good ground suits him well and the forecast is a good to soft surface with a dry day forecast. If the Clerk of the Course is accurate with his going description he must run well given he is entitled to come on for his Newbury comeback.
In the opener Twentytwo’s Taken (1.50) was unimpressive at Fakenham last time but the David Pipe trained runner can defy a 7lb penalty in what looks a good opportunity. The selection is currently 66/1 at BetVictor for the Festival opener and he will have to win well for him to take up that option.
Sudden Wish (4.20) was last seen winning on the all-weather at Kempton back in March and the mare could be well handicapped for Gary Moore back over jumps especially as she has run well fresh in the past.
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