Chris Maude hails departing AP McCoy

Tony McCoy has always looked the part for the thousands of rides he has taken in his glorious career thanks to being kitted out immaculately, and correctly, by the unsung heroes of the weighing room.

While McCoy takes the risks and the glory when riding in a race, whether it be a bumper or the Grand National, he can happily leave the mundane tasks to the valets.

He does not have to worry about picking up the correct silks or having his boots polished. Those and many other essential chores are undertaken behind the scenes by Chris Maude and his small but dedicated team of valets.

Maude, himself a former jump jockey, has looked after McCoy since 2002.

He has the utmost respect for McCoy the man and jockey and gave an insight into what life is like in the privacy of the changing room.

"He's very straight forward to look after. There's been lots of good sportsmen over the years and most of them have a kink, but he doesn't," said Maude, whose big-race successes include the Topham and Becher Chases over the big Aintree fences.

"He's good fun and gets lots of abuse in the weighing room from other jockeys because he's so successful, I suppose.

"He takes it all in very good humour and he can dish it out. He does get a lot as they love to take the mickey out of him. It's the only way they can get at him.

"We look after all his saddles and everything other than the colours. They come with the horse. We make sure the right saddle is prepared for him and he's wearing the right colours when we get them. We ensure all his kit is in good working order at a race meeting.

"It's a bit like a travelling circus. The jockey walks out of the weighing room and leaves everything there and, hey presto, when he arrives at another racecourse the following day it's all there hanging on the wall.

"He'll have two or three pairs of boots, four saddles. There is quite a lot of kit and we make sure it is all clean and dry.

"We'd have the first saddle ready depending what weight he's got in the first race.

"AP is a very straightforward guy. He's good fun and will be missed by everyone. He's made a lot of friends in the weighing room."

Maude took over the valet business from another former jump jockey, John Buckingham of Foinavon fame, when he decided to retire.

He recalled a story Buckingham told him about the first time a fledgling McCoy needed a valet's services in England more than 20 years ago.

"When he had his first ride in England, he didn't have any boots. John Buckingham lent him a pair and said "you'll have to go some to fill these - they were Peter Scudamore's"," said Maude.

"Obviously he didn't know then how AP was going to turn out.

"I've got a team of three other lads who work with me. We will be at Sandown on Saturday. It's going to be some occasion."