By the time AP McCoy traipsed in , ninth in the first race of his last Cheltenham Festival , the acclaim for his great friend and rival was ringing in his ears . The sound of rolling thunder from the crowd , packed 50-deep on The Lawns along the final two furlongs of the closing straight , concluded with Ruby Walsh ’ s name being chanted . Suddenly the people ’ s hero seemed quite incidental . It was not to get a great deal better for the man who transcends National Hunt racing , and whose farewell to its biggest meeting dominated the build-up to this event . AP McCoy rides Jezki to a disappointing fourth in the Champion Hurdle on day one of Cheltenham . In truth , McCoy has known plenty of days like this at Cheltenham before , and while he will have felt disappointment , his supporters in a record opening-day crowd of 63,000 had much to compensate them . The thought of this Festival helps sustain some people through the long winter months and , when it finally arrived , it could hardly have been more glorious . Cleeve Hill almost shimmered in the background as springtime attempted its own burst to the front . Amid the drama McCoy fought hard to try to fulfil the expectations placed upon him , perhaps more from a wider sporting public who have come to revere his sustained excellence . The cognoscenti know that there is little low hanging fruit for him at Cheltenham this year , but there are still three days left to make this a fitting valedictory appearance . The fantasy ending remains victory on Friday , either in the Gold Cup or the meeting ’ s final race , which has been temporarily renamed in his honour . He might be a far more sanguine character than when he first started racking up the champion jockey titles , but frustration was etched into his features as he went in and out of the weighing room . McCoy had considered Jezki ( above ) as his best chance of a winner at Cheltenham this year . You do not become the nation ’ s most durable sportsman without defeats continuing to sting . On Tuesday these came in the form of finishing ninth , last , fifth , fourth and pulling up in his five races . It is a strange day when American Rich Ricci , uber-wealthy banker and the pantomime villain of racehorse ownership , gets more cheers in the parade ring than someone deemed a national treasure , but this was one of them . McCoy has admitted that he is anxious about the prospect of retirement , but afternoons such as on Tuesday might serve to ease the fear . No defeat hurt more than coming fourth on Jezki in the Champion Hurdle , and the horse ’ s trainer Jessica Harrington revealed he had been quick to take responsibility . McCoy looks dejected after the final race , the Chaps Restaurants Barbados Novices ’ Handicap Steeplechase . ‘ AP was blaming himself , saying he took on Faugheen at the top of the hill , and in chasing the winner it probably cost him second or third and he finished fourth , ’ she said . ‘ If he had ridden him to be second to Faugheen then he may well have been second. ’ The latter scenario was never likely to happen , especially as McCoy had identified Jezki , the defending champion from last year , as probably his best chance in 2015 . He was not to add to his comparatively modest Festival tally of 30 winners , a total exceeded not just by Walsh but Barry Geraghty , too . He has tasted glory here — the Gold Cup win on Synchronised and the masterclass on Wichita Lineman in the 2009 William Hill — but it is 17 years since he was the leading jockey at this Bacchanalian jamboree . McCoy , riding Bold Henry , pulled up with two fences left in the final race of the day . McCoy , riding in his last Cheltenham Festival , did not have the day he would have hoped upon arrival . Some revellers had gone home as he set off in the last race , the exotically-named Chaps Restaurants Barbados Novices ’ Handicap Steeplechase , on Bold Henry . They were never in it and pulled up with two fences left . Afterwards McCoy had what looked like a lengthy inquest with the owner JP McManus before fairly sprinting back to the weighing room for the last time . He was not in the mood to discuss the afternoon ’ s events , saying only ‘ it was all right. ’ Perhaps he could merely have pointed to the name of the horse who had started favourite and just come second in the final chase . For AP it had been a Thomas Crapper kind of day .
The 2015 Cheltenham Festival got under way on Tuesday . AP McCoy rode in five races but could only manage a best place fourth . McCoy rode Jezki to a disappointing fourth in the Champion Hurdle . This is McCoy 's final Cheltenham Festival before retirement .