Barry Geraghty to replace McCoy

BARRY GERAGHTY is set to be announced as Tony McCoy’s successor as retained jockey for leading owner JP McManus.

The two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning rider partnered the McManus-owned Jezki and More Of That to festival success last year and has been hot favourite with the bookmakers to take up the role.

Speculation has been rife as to the identity of McCoy’s replacement since the 20-time champion announced his retirement plan in February but the week before Royal Ascot, McManus’s racing manager Frank Berry told the Racing Post there was “no news” on the situation.

An announcement that Geraghty will be the chosen one moved a significant step closer on Sunday as Berry told the Daily Mail: “Hopefully it will happen. It is just not finalised but it will be. There might be something during the week about it.”

Geraghty, 35, was installed as 1-6 favourite for the McManus job in the immediate aftermath of McCoy’s announcement but his odds drifted as a number of other riders were linked with one of jump racing’s most coveted roles.

The two-time Irish champion, who won the Grand National on Monty's Pass in 2003, has a formidable record at the highest level and enjoyed big-race success in McManus’s famous green and gold colours at Cheltenham last year when landing the Champion Hurdle on Jezki and the World Hurdle on More Of That, rides McCoy passed up in favour of partnering My Tent Or Yours and At Fishers Cross.

Geraghty, who has been number one rider for Nicky Henderson since Mick Fitzgerald retired in 2008, also successfully deputised for the suspended McCoy on Shutthefrontdoor in last year’s Irish Grand National.

www.racingpost.com/

Will never be another AP but great jock and wish him all the best

Thing is AP always wanted the ammo that Geraghty had, not sure if riding in the pish races will suit Barry, he was always more of a big race jockey.Sure he used to only race 3 or 4 times a week through choice