McCoy now in bronze after stunning sculpture unveiled

Where once there were only four horses, now there is also a man – and what a man.

At Cheltenham on Tuesday a huge cloth bearing the colours of JP McManus's silks was removed to reveal a stunning bronze statue of Sir Anthony McCoy – and, unlike some famous racecourse sculptures, this one actually looks like the individual being portrayed.

The artwork of the 20-time champion jockey, created by Dublin's Paul Ferriter, joins those of Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate and Dawn Run that already grace the home of jumping.

Accompanied by wife Chanelle and children Eve and Archie, the winner of 31 Cheltenham Festival races watched as his bronze double was revealed to a watching audience of admiring racegoers.

"I want to say a huge thank you to Cheltenham," said McCoy. "When I started coming here I would never have thought there would ever be a statue of me. I'm very proud and very honoured.

"A lot of my friends would say the statue has more personality than I do. Unfortunately it looks just like me as well!"

Explaining the nuances of recreating the greatest-ever jump jockey, Ferriter said: "His cheekbones, jaw, chin and hair are very distinctive. I just wanted to capture the essence, the spirit of the man."

With a remarkable degree of accuracy, Ferriter has done exactly that.