With his reputation as a strict teetotaller going without challenge, even after reaching the pinnacle of the 4,000th win in his racing career, jockey AP McCoy found himself behind the bar pulling celebratory pints for all his friends on Thursday night.
In an amazing celebration probably never seen in Manton before, AP’s family, friends and top figures from the horse-racing world descended on the Outside Chance pub, which he co-owns with racing’s Guy Sangster.
His father, brother, wife and young daughter Eve – who had to abandon her own sixth birthday party plans to see her father get his 4,000th win at Towcester on Thursday – joined with those cheering the night away.
And probably the only one who was was on the ball and full of beans yesterday morning (Friday) was AP himself.
But he had to abandon his own plans for a bit of a lie-in – because his only race yesterday was the late last race at Southwell – to do interviews on breakfast TV and radio.
He expressed concern at the size of the bar bill at the Outside Chance in a TV interview yesterday morning, which amused the staff and managers cleaning up.
“We had the TV on in the pub this morning while we were clearing up and it did make me laugh when he mentioned the bar bill,” Sarah Spooner, who runs the pub with her husband Howard told the Western Daily Press.
“I have no idea how much it was, or what will happen to it – I shall probably broach the subject with AP’s wife Chanelle in the next few days.
“But it was a great night, a proper celebratory night, and it was just lovely for so many people to be here to share it with him.
“His father and brother were here, Jonjo O’Neill, Mick Fitzgerald, Richard and Lizzie Hughes, all his best pals in racing, everyone just came down.”
And she added: “We knew they would all be coming in the night he got to 4,000. Luckily, we had earlier had a few cancellations for dinner that night, and when someone booked a table in the restaurant earlier that day, we did say to them, ‘look, if AP does win, we’re going to have to cancel because the place is going to be full’.
“As soon as he crossed the finishing line, we were on the phone, and they were great about it – it is a once in a lifetime celebration,” she added. “The place was jam-packed and everyone was celebrating.”
On the morning after AP had to apologise on air to his mum, who stayed at home, watched the race on TV and missed the party, for not phoning her after his triumph.
After she asked how the party went and how the rest of her family was, he said: “It was very tidy. They enjoyed themselves. But your husband and your sons are not in great shape this morning.”
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