McCoy magic thrills us all with winning Push to claim Grand National glory

First published in the Racing Post on April 11, 2010

Absolutely marvellous. Rarely has racing been blessed with a better day than this. No matter how many Aintrees, Cheltenhams or Epsoms we experience, no matter where in the world the sport grabs our attention, no matter who, no matter where, no matter when. Thanks to Tony McCoy, to whom racing owes so much, we now know that as good as it gets is so very good indeed.

His greatness is well and rightly documented. Yet until now, despite more than 3,000 winners, 14 jockeys’ championships and countless major victories, he had been unable to burst from within the bubble that confined him to our lives and not the ones lived by everyone else.