ENGLISH TEXTS
was training now , he would still be so far ahead of the game , genius doesn ’ t do him justice ”.
The Partnership with JP McManus When a man of AP ’ s stature talks of someone like this , you listen and take note . Martin was a huge cog in AP ’ s life , he gave him direction and drive to go and win time after time again . It was a wonderful seven years for them both together but then , along came JP who was already starting to become one of the biggest owners in national hunt racing . “ I ’ d actually already ridden a few winners for him - the first one being Mayasta in Punchestown in 1996 and she turned out to be the dam of Synchronised who I won the Gold Cup on for JP . I saw he was getting more horses and then one day he just asked me for the job . It was as simple as that .” To most it would be seen as a very simple yes . “ I suppose I was getting to an age and a stage in my career where I ’ d like the opportunity to go over to Ireland and ride a little bit more . I felt anyone could be champion jockey riding for Martin , not that it wasn ’ t a challenge but riding for him was a big advantage . It was something new with JP with a lot of potential , I liked his ambition , I liked him as a person , and he wanted to grow and have more horses and more importantly better horses ”. It was on a JP horse that he won his 4000 winner on Mountain Tunes for Jonjo O ’ Neill at Towcester . A Man who never gave himself a day off must have had some doubt about leaving the man who ’ d given him 7 champion jockey titles in a row . “ Of course , there was some doubt but there was a lot of horses there for me to ride and probably a lot of better horses , although he ’ s got better horses now than when I was riding ”. That prompts a chuckle from him although a recent article where he said he could still be champion jockey if he was riding now makes me think if he had the chance , he would be back in the saddle in a heartbeat to ride some of JP ’ s current best horses like Fact to File and Majborough . The move to JP certainly gave him the chance to ride better horses , no more so than at the Cheltenham festival and with that coming up , I wondered what his recollections are of riding there . “ Cheltenham is the pinnacle , its where you want to win , every sports person has an ego and if you ’ re lucky enough to ride there in front of 70,000 people and then to go on and win there , then it can give you the biggest buzz . Cheltenham Is the biggest amphitheater in racing where everyone wanting to win there means it ’ s the hardest place to win and also the most important .” His response holds me to his every word , and I falter with my next question as I realize that this man has an affection with the sport and win- ning unlike many others . One horse though that is close to his heart was Synchronised . ” He gave me the most thrill out of any win when winning the Gold Cup . His Dam gave me and JP our first win together , so it was very poignant that it was one of her offspring , bred by JP ’ s wife Noreen , gave me and JP our biggest win together . It was the one day I walked out of a racecourse thinking ‘ that is what I was employed to do ’, and id won numerous big races before , including a Grand National , but the day I left Cheltenham on the Friday with a Gold Cup trophy was the first day I felt I ’ d achieved and done what I was employed to do and that ’ s why he employed me .” JP employed him to ride horses and win races around a green field but the image of AP in the green and gold silks captured the hearts of many and he became , in my opinion , a living legend .
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By Jacob Pritchard-Webb
AT THE HEART OF THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL WITH THE COLORS GREEN AND GOLD
Jacob Pritchard-Webb a poursuivi la conversation avec AP McCoy à quelques semaines de Cheltenham
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