Modest jockey Ryan Moore strives for perfection in horse racing

Ryan Moore admits it is "very flattering" to be hailed as the best rider in the world in some quarters, but is hardly letting such praise go to his head.

Moore has enjoyed another stellar year, with Protectionist's Melbourne Cup win filling another rare blank on his packed CV.

His perfectly-timed delivery of the German-trainer runner attracted plenty of plaudits, but he is not getting carried away by those who have widely named him as the greatest on the planet.

He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's very flattering. Racing, like most sport, is part opinion and some people will have that opinion and others won't.

"Some days someone's going to get the better of me and some days I'll get the better of them.

"You need the right horse, first of all, and it depends how the race shapes.

"Sometimes you can control it, but sometimes it shapes differently and you can't control it but you get lucky, and other days you might not.

"It's one of those things you won't ever prove.

"There are people riding all over the world, people I've never seen ride, so it's hard to say. It's very flattering but probably untrue."

Moore also claimed a landmark success aboard Aidan O'Brien's Adelaide in the Cox Plate, adding to the likes of Hillstar's Canadian International victory and The Grey Gatsby's success in the Irish Champion Stakes.

He said: "I take every day as it comes. You don't really have any sort of thoughts at the start of the year about how it will go, really.

"Just every day you go out there and try to do as good a job as you can and see where it takes you.

"You just keep looking forwards, racing moves quite fast and there's always another race upcoming.

"I try not to dwell too much on wins or losses and I may be should enjoy it a bit more, but I just like to keep looking ahead and move on, really.

"I'm lucky to be asked to ride in these countries. I get to ride some high-class horses and what I want to do most of all is ride the best horses and be competing in the biggest races.

"Fortunately this year they have taken me all over the world to all the major racing nations.

"Some trips are better than others and I just try to make them work as I go.

"You are only ever as good as your last ride, I don't think you can dwell too much in racing.

"There's always people who are eager and hungry and want to be where you are. You have to keep your foot down and keep the pressure on yourself and keep performing to your highest possible standard

"I can do only do what I do. I think I conduct myself fairly well but I may be not the ideal role model some people would like me to be.

"It would probably be said that I could spend a bit more time in the media promoting the sport but I can only focus on my sort of area, which is being as good as I can, really.

"It's pretty selfish, probably, but that's probably the way you have to be in racing and in most sport.

"There are lots of races to be won and won again but the biggest thing for me is to carry on improving and do as good a job as I can.

"If I feel like I'm riding well and getting the most out of my rides, that's the most important thing."