Intro:

AP McCoy reacts to ending his horse racing career by finishing third on 5-2 favourite Box Office at Sandown. The Arsenal supporter receives a lifetime achievement award from Gunners great Liam Brady and ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright presents McCoy with his 20th jockey's title.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) AP McCoy, 20-times champion jump jockey (when asked if today felt different)

"Very different, lots of things. It's been going on for a couple of months, 'the last time this' and 'the last time that' but today is the last time so it's a little different. Last night was probably the first night in my lifetime that I didn't sleep great. And it was different driving in here this morning, different going into the weighing room. I was in the sauna three-quarters of an hour ago and I'm probably never going to be in one in my life again. So just the routine and the regime is going to change so much that I'm going to have to get used to that as much as anything."

Q - Does every sort of final step along the way to retirement have emotion brought with it?

"... The reality only really hit home, I would say, after the Grand National when I was leaving Aintree that night - to think that I wasn't going back to a meeting like that and such a prestigious race. And then when I left Cheltenham last Thursday, as I said earlier, my two valets were sat in the corner and they said it was going to be sad that I was never going to sit there again. That was tough. It was the one day in I don't know how many years that I drove myself racing and I did find it difficult at times driving home so... but I've been very lucky and very blessed to have had the life that I've led and what I would say to the young lads, in any sport or in the weighing room, is to enjoy every moment of it because it doesn't last as long as you'd like."