Cheltenham rose as one to salute Tony McCoy today as the 19-time champion jockey, riding at his final Festival, won the Ryanair Chase on Uxizandre.
After enduring a blank at the meeting for the first two days, McCoy was beginning to believe that he might not realise his ambition of enjoying at least one more success at the highlight of the National Hunt season.
His fears proved unfounded, though, as Uxizandre, carrying the colours of JP McManus, McCoy’s long-time employer, made all and galloped on strongly to record an emphatic success.
The stampede to the winner’s enclosure to greet McCoy was instant - it was as if the course executive had announced they were giving away luxury holidays in the vicinity - and a rousing reception was swiftly followed by a chorus of three cheers.
“He stuck at it well and it’s days like this I am going to miss,” McCoy said. “He ran away with me for a mile-and-a-half, and I thought ‘he’ll never keep it up’.
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“Alan King [the trainer] has got him spot on today, and it’s great for JP and [his wife] Noreen. They’re the people I work for, and they’ve been so good to me.”
His ecstatic wife, Chanelle, revealed that her husband had been melancholy in the morning. “This is going to mean the world to him,” she said.
“When he got up and was heading into day three he wanted one more time to ride a winner at Cheltenham, to soak up the atmosphere and not finish his career without one more winner.
“He wanted that feeling one more time. He’s not the most animated at the best of times, but this will absolutely mean the world to him.”
McManus also paid a lengthy tribute and when asked how he would ever replace him, gave an assuring reply.
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“It’s OK,” he said, before adding after a pause “We’ve had him cloned.”
King will be among those seeking one of the reproductions: “AP is phenomenal,” he said.
“We’ll never see his like again, the dedication... I’m just delighted to be a small part of it.”
Ma Filleule chased Uxizandre home after making a threatening move two out, with Don Cossack, the favourite, a one-paced third.
There was another resolute front-running display in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, with the Warren Greatrex-trained Cole Harden making all under Gavin Sheehan.
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Cole Harden, who started at 14-1, relished the fast ground and, having got in a lovely rhythm, burnt his rivals off one by one.
Saphir Du Rheu and Zarkandar followed him home without being unable to land a blow.
Earlier, Vautour had put up a spectacular performance in the JLT Chase, winning by 15 lengths to give Willie Mullins, his trainer, a sixth success at the meeting.
“Everyone left Cheltenham last year talking about Faugheen, but this horse is a machine,” Mullins said.
“He was wrong at Christmas. Faugheen won a Champion Hurdle, but I think this horse could be better. He’s a fantastic horse.
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“He’s gone and won by 15 lengths from a top field of horses. You can’t get much better than that, I don’t think. We’ll go down the Gold Cup route with him.”
Ruby Walsh, his jockey, was unable to stop grinning and described him as the real deal, the kind of horse you dream about.