Congratulations Tony!

The 8-15 betting favourite, A P 'Tony' McCoy, swamped competitors to win the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

It is the first time in the competition's 59-year history that a racing personality was chosen.

McCoy received 293,000 telephone votes during the two-hour telecast.  The second, 15-times Darts world champion Phil Taylor, behind by 211,000 votes.

McCoy has been UK champion Jump jockey for the last 15 years in one of the world's most dangergous sports which netted him breaks in almost every bone in his body. 

Fifteen is evidently his lucky number as he was not only chosen Britain's top jockey earlier in the year, but he won his first Grand National on J P McMannis' Don't Push It. 

Both McMannis and DPI's trainer Jonjo O'Neill were part of the large racing contingent attending the Birmingham awards.

Ulsterman McCoy was clearly humbled by his award and thrilled that it proved to his adorable blond three-year-old daughter that "her father has done something".

His Flat racing equivalent, Frankie Dettori, said "In my lifetime, I don't think we'll ever see anyone like him again."


Racing International http://www.racingint.com