Tony McCoy: The magic man

Everyone will have their favourite McCoy memories and their favourite rides but here, in no particular order, are a handful of ours.

"I'm delighted for JP as he's the best supporter this game has ever had and ever will have, and I'm very privileged to ride a Grand National winner in his colours." The last word, though, was saved for Don't Push It and delivered in the typically self-deprecating manner that we have come to expect. "He's always been a horse with ability and that's what you need for this race. He's a little bit mentally unstable, which maybe is why he gets on well with me, but at times he's shown that he has class." Watch Don't Push It win the Grand National Synchronised, Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup 2012 In a similar vein to Don't Push It, the success of the ill-fated Synchronised has to go on the list as the success was McManus' first in the race and made O'Neill an exclusive member of a club of two - along with Fred Winter - having both ridden and trained a winner of chasing's championship race. McCoy and Synchronised were arguably made for each other as the Flat bred son of Sadler's Wells was hardly the greatest stylist but he was all heart and never gave up. "I'm a dreamer," McCoy had told reporters after winning the National. "I'm always dreaming that I'll win every race I'm in," and you can imagine Synchronised saying the same thing as he attempted to keep in touch with the leaders. He was flat out between the last two fences but kept the gallop up all the way up the hill to pass the post two-and-a-quarter lengths in front of The Giant Bolster with Long Run back in third. "He doesn't have the physique to be a horse that's going to travel in a Gold Cup, but he's all heart and will to win," McCoy said. "It was just about tagging on to the back of them for as long as I could, and I knew that he was going to come home better than any of them. "It's crazy to say it, but he's not really a chaser. You only have to look at him to realise that, but I just wanted to get to the other side of the fences as quickly as possible and not ask him too many big questions as far as jumping was concerned. I was niggling, slapping and cajoling him all the way round. I was never going well, but I was never in a position I couldn't win from." O'Neill was understandably delighted. "Words can't put it together really," he said. "He's a smashing little horse with the heart of a lion, and I knew going down the back that he had a chance, as so long as he kept jumping he was going to come home. The problem is keeping him up there, and AP really got him motivated." "There's been some great moments here," McManus said, "but I think this will stand out with the best of them. AP's first winner for me was riding the dam of Synchronised, called Mayasta." Replay Synchronised's Gold Cup victory Hennessy, bet365 Gold Cup Chase 2009 Hennessy was not a champion. He finished his career with a perfectly respectable five wins from 25 starts, winning two out of 11 over fences, but his crowning moment in the season ending handicap owed everything to the powers of the perennial Champion Jockey. The son of Presenting looked an unlikely winner for much of the race and McCoy had to get after the Carl Llewellyn-trained runner from a long way out.