The documentary filmed during AP's final season in the saddle airs on BBC2 at 10pm tonight. It will be up on iPlayer if anyone misses it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08g8mpz
Being a simple country boy and as Sunday was a school night there was no way that I was going to stay up late and watch that! I’m sure though that the amount of positive P.R. and ‘spin’ involved would have made, even, old boys Goebbels and ‘Mandy’ Mandelson blush. Re THAT man I see that Cheltenham are to put up a statue in his honour. Not saying he doesn’t deserve one (triumphed in a lot of novice and selling hurdles after all) but why on earth is it being put up at Cheltenham?!? It’s akin to putting a statue of the French President in the middle of London or one of Thierry Henry at Old Trafford. Cheltenham is totally the wrong place as he was never again ‘Champion Jockey’ at the Festival meeting after 1998 and his record in the big races at the venue is easily surpassed by others. Does make you wonder what they will do when old boy Ruby retires – get him stuffed and put on a plinth in the paddock?!? Whilst what about Mr Henderson – mounted in the Royal Box, perhaps?!?
Hmmmmmmmmm. Didn't realise that. I should think AP would be embarrassed by that. Totally the wrong place.
Should be a statue of him at Ludlow or Worcester. I really don't understand why anyone who has done something in racing gets a plague or a piece of scrap metal to commemorate them.
Worcester was actually the first racecourse I ever visited. On that basis surely I’m more deserving. My regular readers will be shocked to hear that the Racecourse Executive at Worcester haven’t even erected a plaque commemorating said fact. Diss-grace-full.
He's one grumpy bugger that's for sure. Having watched it with the misses I did point out to her that she should consider herself very lucky to have someone with my sunny disposition (when compared to AP). She pointed out that poor ol Chanelle had a wardrobe about a mile long and that would help any lass to cope with a miserable sod like AP. And they'd have you believe us geezers are the shallow ones.
I recorded this and watched it this evening. It was ok to a point, but nothing I'd watch over and over. I do wonder if the police do retrospective prosecutions and if so will they consider visiting AP for using his phone while driving??!! The best bit didn't involve the documentary at all however .... I'd started watching when my son, an electrician, turned up to put a new ceiling switch in my bathroom, bringing with him my 11 year old grandson. He sat watching this with me while my son did his work. He asked me who the jockey was, and I explained it was AP McCoy, retired, record breaking jockey. He noticed Jonjo talking to JP McManus and pointed out that he (Jonjo) had his name on his coat. Is that so no one steals it, he asked! 5 minutes later he asks why AP is wearing Albert Bartlett's pants! It's a good question! A better one may be - is Albert Bartlett wearing AP's pants!!
Can you imagine the shock and horror of it all? Mr. Henderson, sans pants, being publicly mounted in the Royal Box.
A brilliant bit of film making. Given what a private person AP is, I'm surprised at how intimate some of those conversations in fromt of the camera were, especially with his wife. The most interesting insight into the psyche of an elite athlete came, I thought, from McCoy's repeated assertion that "I'm an addict". Hopefully he will find something positive to replace his obsession in retirement. He's going to need his family and friends; and he's going to need to wake up and notice them a bit more, which he did acknowledge. I know he's not top of everyone's favourite jockey list, but for me he is the most driven, the most relentless, and the most courageous athlete in any sport so far this century; and the furthest ahead of his field.
As nice as she is Mrs McCoy did go on a bit, I think he didn't want to face retirement as he had to stop at home and listen to her all day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She has got a very, very, very wealthy Father though. Mrs Merton’s most famous quip certainly springs to mind!
I thought it was quite sad actually... it was very clear he didnt want to retire. He wanted to carry on a could have easily for another few years - he spends just as much time riding out and at race courses now as he did when he was riding!
Finally got round to watching it. Yes you could see that he did not want to retire. However the injury he got when he was on target to 300 winners seemed to knock the stuffing out of him and in a way forced him to face up to the fact that he was not healing as quickly as previously. The bit at Martinstown seeing all JP's retired heroes was lovely
