IT is hard to believe that this will be the last time we see A.P. McCoy riding at the Cheltenham Festival.

Ever since he got off the mark at the mecca of National Hunt racing on Kibreet in the Grand Annual Chase in 1996, he has regularly been a star at the meeting and has added no less than 29 more victories to his name at it.

Many memorable moments are scattered amongst those winners, but here are just 10 of those that will perhaps live the longest in public memory.

MAKE A STAND

1997 Champion Hurdle

Going into the 1997 Festival, A.P. McCoy had only one previous win at the meeting to his name, but he emerged from that year’s action with victories in two of the biggest races in the sport.

The first to strike was the Martin Pipe-trained Make A Stand in the Champion Hurdle and spectacular strike it was.

The son of Master Willie had progressed remarkably well up through the handicap ranks that season and with his relentless front-running style being well matched to McCoy, the two proved to be a formidable partnership.

While the market leaders Large Action and Collier Bay were not a factor on the day, McCoy and Make A Stand blazed a trail that saw them well clear of their rivals for much of the race, eventually prevailing by an unchallenged five lengths.

MR MULLIGAN

1997 Cheltenham Gold Cup

As if gaining his first win in the Champion Hurdle wasn’t enough for McCoy in 1997, two days later he gained his first win in the Gold Cup on board the Noel Chance-trained Mr Mulligan.

McCoy had ridden the son of Torus for the first time a few months earlier in the King George VI at Kempton and while he made a bold bid, they were held in second by One Man when crashing out at the final fence.

The pair were largely unconsidered for the Gold Cup, being sent off at 20/1, but that made no difference to them as under a positive McCoy ride, Mr Mulligan stretched away from his rivals to record an impressive nine lengths victory over Barton Bank and Dorans Pride.

That win was McCoy’s third of the meeting, which was enough to see him crowned the leading rider at the Festival.

EDREDON BLEU

2000 Queen Mother Champion Chase

The Henrietta Knight-trained Edredon Bleu was already a memorable partner for McCoy prior to the 2000 festival, as he had already ridden him to win the Grand Annual in 1998 and was only just touched off close home by Call Equiname in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1999. Thus, the pairing very much had unfinished business going into the 2000 renewal of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and what resulted was one of the most thrilling finishes to the race in recent decades.

McCoy set out to make most of the running on Edredon Bleu and kicked for home after fourth-last fence. While he saw off the favourite Flagship Uberalles, Direct Route looked to have his measure when heading him with just 100 yards to race, but McCoy would not give in and drove his mount back to challenge right on the line. After a torturous wait for the result of the photo finish to be announced, Edredon Bleu was confirmed as the winner, prompting great scenes of celebration from his backers that thought their chance had gone on the run-in.

LIBERMAN

2003 Champion Bumper

The Martin Pipe-trained Liberman will not go down as one of the classiest winners that A.P. McCoy has ridden, but that matters little to those that supported him in the Champion Bumper in 2003.

The five-year-old was the banker of the meeting for many punters and the weight of money that arrived for him in the minutes before the race was colossal even by Cheltenham Festival standards.

Given a no-nonsense ride by McCoy, he hit the front over three furlongs from home and while numerous challengers emerged, McCoy was fiercely strong on his mount and saw them all off one by one, eventually coming out on top by a desperate half-length from the future RSA Chase and Hennessy Gold Cup winner Trabolgan.

Unsurprisingly given that the previous two winners on the card had been priced at 25/1 and 16/1, the victory was greeted with unchained enthusiasm by the Cheltenham masses that had put their faith in McCoy.

WELL CHIEF

2004 Arkle Challenge Trophy

While A.P. McCoy is best known for his fierce determination and strength, he is also more than capable of showing finesse in the saddle and he did so on the sport’s biggest stage when riding the Martin Pipe-trained Well Chief to win the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2004.

McCoy and Well Chief had been touched off by a head in the previous year’s Triumph Hurdle, but had an unusual preparation for the Arkle in that he only made his chasing debut six weeks before the race, winning a novice chase at Taunton under McCoy.

Riding such an inexperienced chaser, McCoy took his time on the 9/1 shot and steadily worked his way into contention. Having hit the front at the penultimate fence, Well Chief responded gamely to McCoy’s urgings to see off the future Gold Cup winner Kicking King by a length.

BRAVE INCA

2006 Champion Hurdle

Being entrusted with the ride on one of the most loved horses in training is no easy brief, but that is what McCoy had to do when given the ride on the Colm Murphy-trained Brave Inca in 2005.

The son of Good Thyne had won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and gone close in a Champion Hurdle under Barry Cash, but his connections wanted a change and McCoy was the man to get the call.

The results were immediate, with McCoy winning on four of his first five starts on Brave Inca, but the real test would come at Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle in 2006.

Sent off at 7/4 as the punters put their faith in the pairing, things were not looking good for Brave Inca as he hit an unusually prolonged flat spot after the fourth hurdle, but McCoy motivated him and he just kept galloping and galloping, seeing off Macs Joy and Hardy Eustace in a stirring finish, much to the delight of his legion of fans.

WICHITA LINEMAN

2009 William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase

McCoy’s victory on Wichita Lineman was far from his most prestigious or valuable victory at the Cheltenham Festival, but in many ways it epitomised everything that McCoy will be remembered for after he hangs up his riding boots.

While he was sent off the 5/1 favourite, it wasn’t long before massive prices were available in running, as the eight-year-old blundered more than a couple of fences and was under serious pressure a long way from home, but McCoy persevered in the style that only he can and his mount started to respond from after the penultimate fence for all that he still had plenty to do.

Coming from what seemed an impossible position, Wichita Lineman made relentless headway and somehow stole the spoils in the final strides.

It was a ride that many put forward as McCoy’s greatest ever and there have arguably been few better rides in the recent history of the Cheltenham Festival.

BINOCULAR

2010 Champion Hurdle 2010

Not too many of A.P. McCoy’s wins at the Cheltenham Festival were unexpected, but his Champion Hurdle win on the Nicky Henderson-trained Binocular was one in that category.

The son of Enrique had come up just short when sent off favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2008 and for the Champion Hurdle in 2009 and not many fancied him to gain compensation in 2010 with the horse having twice met with defeat earlier in the season and even being briefly ruled out of the race by his trainer.

Having somewhat surprisingly made the Champion Hurdle line up, he was sent off at 9/1, but those that had kept the faith in him didn’t have too many worries, as he cruised to the lead at the penultimate flight and had no worries thereafter, with him running out the three and a half lengths victor to give McCoy his third Champion Hurdle success.

ALBERTAS RUN

2011 Ryanair Chase

A.P. McCoy has had some wonderful partners at the Cheltenham Festival over the course of his career, but the only horse that he has ridden to three victories is the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Albertas Run. The pair won the RSA Chase in 2008 and the Ryanair Chase in 2010, but it was his second victory in the Ryanair Chase in 2011 that was perhaps the most memorable.

His preparation for the race was disastrous, with a poor run at Aintree being followed by a fall at Ascot and being pulled up in the King George VI at Kempton.

However, O’Neill delivered him to Cheltenham in excellent form and under a positive and persistent ride from McCoy, Albertas Run ground out a very game length victory, much to the delight of his many fans.

SYNCHRONISED

2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup 2012

When Tony McCoy hangs up his riding boots, two rides are likely to be shown the most in his highlight reels, Don’t Push It in the Aintree Grand National and Synchronised in the Gold Cup.

A progressive if somewhat dour staying chaser, he burst onto the scene when winning the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown and was fancied by many to go close in the Gold Cup.

However, Synchronised and McCoy looked in big trouble quite a long way from home, with his jumping letting him down and having plenty of ground to make up on the leaders.

McCoy was not discouraged though and his perseverance was rewarded with the nine-year-old making relentless headway to lead on the run-in and forge on to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.

It was an incredible ride at the very highest level and epitomised everything that we have come to expect from McCoy in the saddle. Fittingly, it was adjudged to be Ride of the Year in 2012.