Jonjo O'Neill © Photo Healy Racing
Jonjo O'Neill is adamant Tony McCoy deserves to be remembered as the "greatest of all time".
The Jackdaws Castle handler enjoyed a long-standing association with the 20-times champion jockey since McCoy pledged his allegiances to prominent owner JP McManus in 2004.
O'Neill and McCoy famously won the 2010 Grand National with Don't Push It, while the partnership also claimed the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Synchronised.
The 40-year-old jockey's final ride was, appropriately, aboard the O'Neill-trained, McManus-owned Box Office, who finished third in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.
"You couldn't sum him up quickly," said O'Neill, who himself was a two-times champion jockey.
"He's a fantastic guy so we could be talking all day about him. He's a great professional to work with, brilliant horseman, a great jockey - just a great all-rounder and ambassador for the sport.
"You name it, he's done it. He knows all the horses, the form, how they should be ridden. If he has ridden them before then he'll say if we should change tactics.
"He's brilliant to work with and he knows the ground and the tracks. His experience is invaluable really.
"We'll never get the likes of him again. We had a couple of big moments, obviously the Grand National and the Gold Cup.
"His 4,000th winner (Mountain Tunes) at Towcester was also fantastic. He got a kick out of that and it was an unbelievable achievement for a jump jockey.
"For me, he's the greatest of all time and always will be," the trainer told RacingUK Radio.
McCoy's great friend and agent Dave Roberts believes it will be extremely difficult for anyone to replicate the legendary jockey's incredible achievements.
He said: "He's changed racing as a jockey. Any young jockey starting out, or jockeys in the last 10 or 15 years, have looked up to him. He's set the standards a lot higher. He's changed the way jockeys are. Their PR approach is very important, and that's down to him.
"People have learned so much from him and I hope they carry on learning from him because the experience he's got and things he has achieved must be left on the shelf somewhere where young jockeys can use it as a plus for them.
"AP put himself through the pain barrier so many times. To do it for that length of time is unbelievable. They say every record can be broken but, for me, for someone to break his record they've got to ride 21 years, injury-free, 200 winners a year. In my lifetime, that's not going to happen.
"The sport will miss him massively, so that's why I'm hoping people won't forget about him too quickly because there will never be another AP McCoy."
Richard Johnson accepts Tony McCoy's departure will leave a significant void in the weighing room.
Johnson has perennially finished second behind the 20-times champion in the jumps jockeys' charts, and admits McCoy's retirement will make his job a lot easier from now on.
The rider is nonetheless saddened by his great rival deciding to hang up his saddle for a final time.
He joked: "I won't miss him being there, that's for sure!
"It's sad that he won't be sat next to me.
"He's a good friend as much as anything else.
"In a racing point of view, I'm quite glad he won't be there to do me on the line before the winning post comes.
"His career speaks for itself and I'm sure we'll all miss him in one way or another, but some more than others.
"Even the general public have taken it in the last two months and I think he's been pretty overwhelmed by the amount of support and people who wanted to say hello or goodbye.
"It's been amazing and it's a fantastic day for him to have a send-off," the jockey told Racing UK Radio.
McCoy is hoping Johnson can now assume his mantle at the top of the riding tree as he believes his long-time adversary and friend played a role in propelling him to even greater heights.
He told William Hill Radio: "I'd like Richard Johnson to be champion jockey because he made me achieve a lot of the things that I did.
"I would never have achieved the numbers I have done if it wasn't for Richard Johnson.
"That's no disrespect to Sam Twiston-Davies or Tom Scudamore or Jason Maguire.
"We have numerous lads who could be champion jockey, but, personally, I would like Richard Johnson to be champion jockey."
