Most of his teeth are replacements having been knocked out in the line of duty.
Has there ever been a sports person as dominant as jockey AP McCoy?
His achievements dwarf those of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher. His success arguably surpasses that of Tiger Woods in his major-winning pomp.
Woods is one of McCoy’s idols — the pair are pictured together in his Twitter avatar — and they played together in a Pro-Am in 2010.
In the aftermath, it was Woods that was left waxing lyrical about his playing partner, astounded that McCoy was still standing after his litany of injuries.
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That triple century had initially looked on the cards last season only for injury to peg him back: “I thought I could ride 300 winners and the fact it was taken away from me broke my heart.”
On the impending retirement, he added: “It is emotional because I am retiring from something I really like doing. That is why it is tough but it’s the right thing.”
So what lies in store in the future? For now, he says he has no idea but much like former jockey Dick Francis did, he has also put pen to paper on a first novel.
“Taking the Fall,” came out last year with jockey Duncan Claymore in the starring role. A second, “Narrowing the Field,” is due for publication in October so expect more works of fiction.
So remarkable have McCoy’s achievements been and so massively have they surpassed those of any of his predecessors or peers, one would have previously thought them a work of fiction.
