McCoy's No1 record

And if you look closely enough, the reasons behind such a relentless pursuit aren't hard to fathom.

Dunwoody was the man McCoy looked up to as he was learning his trade in Ireland and also the rival he found hardest to beat once he graduated to the big league in Britain.

More importantly, Dunwoody was exactly like McCoy in that he brought to his sport an intensity and a ruthless professionalism best summed up by the American maxim which dictates that second sucks.

Reliable sources suggest that McCoy attended the BBC Sports Personality of the Year bash a couple of years ago with a slightly puzzled look on his face.

"What's he won?" was the recurring question as a series of worthy runners-up and also-rans were lauded ahead of him.

The question wasn't asked out of arrogance so much as genuine surprise that anyone should be rewarded for failing to come out on top. And Dunwoody, who has thrown himself into polar expeditions and triathlons since retiring from the saddle, has every sympathy for a former colleague whose obsessive drive for perfection seems to burn brighter every season.

Dunwoody hails his natural successor as "a man who makes the difference-between victory and defeat week in week out" and has no doubt that McCoy could set a record which will never be challenged if Lady Luck smiles on him.

"Tony and I are both from Northern Ireland, and I think we have that natural stubborn streak which makes you think that no task is impossible once you give everything you have to it," he said.

"It took me 17 seasons of hard graft to get to 1,699, so it's amazing to think he's got there in around half that time and I take my hat off to him," he added. "We had some wonderful battles when I was riding, but my life won't change just because the record is broken.

"Staying healthy is the key for Tony now. If his luck with injuries holds for the next few years then there's every chance he could get up towards 3,000 winners, and I'm pretty sure no one will ever threaten that sort of total in our lifetime."

McCoy has been keen to play down talk of Dunwoody's record in recent weeks, but after a Bank Holiday weekend which covered four meetings and over a 1000 miles in his BMW, he headed for Uttoxeter today needing just two more victories to reach his target.

"Richard's record means a hell of a lot to me simply because he's the greatest jockey I've ever ridden against," McCoy said.

"To get past his total would be my greatest achievement. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I wouldn't be half the jockey I am today without him to learn from on the way up."

Former top trainer Jenny Pitman is one of several observers who have suggested that the intensity McCoy brings to one of the most dangerous sports around could lead to burn-out as he approaches 30.

The man himself takes a completely different view, and the bad news for his weighing-room colleagues is that there will be no let up once Dunwoody's record falls.

"People talk about burn-out, but I have the best job in the world," he said. "Everything in my life away from the track is geared to helping me ride as many winners as possible, and I feel as if I'll only reach my peak in two or three years."

Despite having won virtually every big race in the jumping calendar, there are still plenty of targets to aim at.

That man Dunwoody rightly points out that his wins on West Tip and Miinnehoma leave him 2-0 up in terms of Grand National winners, and an Aintree success figures very highly on McCoy's wish list.

However, it may come as a surprise to hear that McCoy would willingly trade a few of his big successes if he could only realise one secret ambition.

"If you gave me one free wish then I have to say that scoring a goal for Arsenal at Highbury would be right up there at the top of the list," he said.

A bit of coaching from his good friends Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler might help him along the way - and perhaps the great Mr Jennings would even add his advice if that old ball ever comes out of the cupboard again.