Horse racing-Jump jockey McCoy rides 4,000th winner

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Tony McCoy, the most successful jump jockey of all time, rode his 4,000th winner when he partnered Mountain Tunes to victory at Towcester racecourse in England on Thursday. Champion jockey for the last 18 seasons, the 39-year-old Irishman broke into a broad smile after needing all his customary strength in the saddle to drive his mount to a narrow victory for trainer Jonjo O'Neill. McCoy has broken record after record in his relentless pursuit of winners since his first success as a 17-year-old in Ireland in 1992. He became the fastest jockey to 200 winners in a season in 1998 and the quickest to 1,000 career wins, taking just over five years. In 2002 he broke the 55-year-old record of Gordon Richards for most winners in a season and went on to ride 289 winners that season. McCoy's feat in reaching the 4,000 landmark can be put in perspective with Richard Johnson the next most successful jump jockey. Johnson is closing in on 2,600 winners. (Writing by Justin Palmer, editing by Ed Osmond)