• Year in review

The mastery of Tony McCoy

Tony McCoy showed what it meant to him when finally getting his Grand National win © Getty Images

Enlarge

Horse racing had much to live up to in 2010 following the stunning efforts of Sea The Stars, Kauto Star and Zenyatta the previous year. It needed a fairytale, someone or something to step up and arguably the greatest National Hunt jockey in the history of the sport did exactly that.

Champagne Moment:
Tony McCoy has been champion jockey for 15 seasons on the spin, he has a will to win that is unmatched and sees him willing to travel the length and breadth of the country just for a sniff of a winner. Big-race wins are all over his CV, but the Grand National had eluded him. Near misses and agonising defeats had left some feeling the Ulsterman would never grab the most high-profile race in the calendar. He got the leg up on Don't Push It for the big race at Aintree, instead of his other potential mount Can't Buy Time, and his loyal backers took the hint as the 10-year-old was made favourite for the race. McCoy was proved right, aided by the advice of trainer Jonjo O'Neill as Can't Buy Time fell early in the race, and it went like clockwork as Don't Push It jumped impeccably , took up the running at the second last and powered away for a win that sparked wild scenes of celebration.

Star Man:
A rollercoaster ride is a fair way to describe the career of Henry Cecil and having plumbed the depths of despair, he had 12 winners in 2005, he is now firmly on the incline again. Twice Over and Midday flew the flag for Warren Place with a host of big wins in the summer, but the icing was put on the cake when Cecil unleashed his "Ferrari" - a juvenile by the name of Frankel. He came to the track in August with a lofty reputation, but his win in a maiden was far from spectacular. But from there, he dominated the juvenile scene with a string of stunning wins - culminating in victory in the Dewhurst Stakes. Cecil has faced numerous setbacks, both personal and professional, but he can now spend the winter dreaming of adding to his 24 Classic wins.

Horse of the Year:
Spread across the National Hunt and Flat calendar, there are candidates aplenty but there was only really one true candidate - Goldikova. French trainer Freddie Head has masterminded the career of the five-year-old and he has handled her quite superbly. She was a star at the age of four, but her career continued on an upward curve this season and she made off with five Group One wins - taking her haul to 12 in all. Home and away games come alike to Goldikova and she sealed the award when heading Stateside to win the Breeders' Cup Mile for the third year on the spin. There is a fear that the mare will fall out of love with the game, but she shows no signs of losing her appetite and owners Wertheimer & Frere have taken the sporting decision to allow her to race on in 2011.

Goldikova was quite brilliant in landing her third Breeders' Cup Mile © Getty Images

Enlarge

Race of the Year:
York racecourse has had to endure a bit of criticism on account of the state of the track, but it served up a Group One cracker at the Ebor Meeting. The Juddmonte International is often a race to savour, with the Classic generation locking horns with the older horses over 10 furlongs. Aidan O'Brien sent over Rip Van Winkle, a horse who had spent much of the previous year looking at the rear end of the brilliant Sea The Stars, and he was sent off favourite to beat the likes of Eclipse winner Twice Over, Royal Ascot winner Byword and crack miler Dick Turpin. The latter failed to land a blow on his step up in trip, but the other trio fought out a brilliant finish. The Prince Khalid Abdullah-owned pair of Byword and Twice Over looked set to scoop the pot as they were clear heading deep into the final furlong, but Rip Van Winkle is a renowned fighter and Johnny Murtagh conjured up a withering run down the stands' side to get up in the shadow of the post.

Biggest Upset:
The Gold Cup was expected to be, and had been heavily marketed as, a straight fight between stablemates Kauto Star - the defending champion - and Denman - winner of the race in 2008. Kauto Star was favoured in the betting, but he made a number of uncharacteristic errors and fell at the top of the hill. While Kauto's fans were despondent, a roar went up from the crowd as Denman made his bid for home. But he was being stalked by Imperial Commander and the new kid on the block led at the second last before powering up the hill to hand victory to jockey Paddy Brennan and trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Quotes of the Year:
"A few years ago, I'd have been at Catterick today. If it wasn't for the prince [Khalid Abdulla], I probably wouldn't be here. I'll go on for as long as he'll have me."
Henry Cecil was full of praise for Prince Khalid Abdulla after Frankel's win in the Dewhurst.

"I heard one newspaper said I could be out for six months - but I haven't broken my neck!"
Despite being on his sick bed recuperating from a broken leg, Ruby Walsh was quick to dismiss suggestions he could miss the Cheltenham Festival in March

"It's rather like having a Ferrari but with no keys."
Michael Bell reflects on Sariska's failure to come out of the stalls for the second race in succession, prompting the star filly's retirement

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.