Champion jockey Tony McCoy is a rider who is driven by the sheer will to win.

The Irishman has taken a grip on the sport, clocking up five consecutive riders' titles.

And in the process, the man known popularly by his initials AP, has built up an army of fans who know he will be trying every inch of the way.

Yet the Grand National is one big race win which has eluded him so far, and he has not even managed to complete the course.

McCoy has wasted away to make the low weights on some rides, starving himself to as low as 10st when his natural weight is about a stone-and-a-half more.

His partnership with Martin Pipe has seen two like minds chasing glory together.

In the 1997-8 campaign, McCoy shattered Peter Scudamore's previous record of 221 wins in a season by clocking up a total of 253.

But the jockey also picks up plenty of leading spare mounts when not required by his retaining trainer.

The brilliant ride McCoy gave Edredon Bleu to take the Queen Mother Champion Chase in a neck-and-neck finish at the 2000 Cheltenham Festival will live long in the memory.

He was top Festival rider in 1997 and 1998, the latter when he won five of the 20 races.

His Festival haul also includes a Gold Cup/Champion Hurdle double in 1997 with Mr Mulligan and Make A Stand.

But he has failed to make the frame in the Grand National, and fell at the third on favourite Dark Stranger in 2000.