CAPARD King took his place in history and all he did was stand quietly in his box at Jonjo O'Neill's yard.

For once not even AP McCoy could defy the odds as he had done for two decades. The 20-times champion jockey who had broken records with the ease that a politician breaks a promise - and then rewritten the records books and put them on the highest shelf possible - bowed out to a packed 18,000 crowd at Sandown Park on a loser when Box Office finished third in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle.

McCoy had begun the day with 4368 winners, the last of which he had ridden more than a week ago when Capard King won the novices' handicap hurdle on the Friday of the Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr, and had not taken a ride since Lettheriverrundry had finished sixth in the bumper the following day.

Normally at this time of year the only way to keep McCoy out of action for that long would be a suspension or an injury so severe that even the jockey who has defied pain as much as he has the oppos- ition for two decades had to unwillingly yield. Instead McCoy was trying to become accustomed to life as a mere mortal, like an addict weaning himself off drugs.

"That was what I thought was best for me, to get used to the idea of not being a jockey," he said. "There were days when I thought I was retiring and there were days when I didn't. Since Aintree it dawned on me that I had to accept the fact that I was retiring and since then I've been trying to prepare myself by not going racing every day."

Sandown would be his final fix and he engineered it so that both of his rides were in the colours of JP McManus, the millionaire owner with whom McCoy has ridden as retained rider since 2004. There has never been a written contract between them but one suspects that a battery of lawyers from Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Run could not construct any document that could have bound these men any closer together.

McCoy had already received a guard of honour from his peers and the jockeys' trophy - for keeps - before he rode in the Grade One AP McCoy Celebration Chase on Mr Mole, the horse he was sitting on when he dropped the bombshell news of his retirement in February.

Retirement had been mooted for Sprinter Sacre after he was pulled up in the Queen Mother Champ-ion Chase at Cheltenham last month. That was forgotten after Sprinter Sacre finished second to Special Tiara, with Mr Mole third which put the onus on Box Office.

But not even the McCoy magic could work this time as Box Office became one of the most celebrated also-rans, given a huge ovation when McCoy rode along the stands one last time to rapturous applause.

Perhaps he finally might accept that while winning is the main focus it is not the only one.

Back in the unsaddling enclosure, McCoy, who has a wit the arid side of dry, was lost for words as he found a lump lodged in his throat the size of a football. One man who knows a thing or two about them is Ally McCoist, an old friend of McCoy, who said: "He's up there with the best anybody can think of. His longevity, his success, his bravery and the way he's handled himself while achieving all that is incredible. I thought the reception he got was heartfelt from everyone. I'm just very proud to call him a pal."

One of the hallmarks of McCoy's career is that it is hard to think of any other jockeys who have had a bad word for him. Richard Johnson, so often the vanquished in the jockeys' championship, may have had the last word when Brother Tedd won this time but he was almost as emotional as McCoy as the pair pulled up.

"I had a few moments when I walked in front of the stands on Box Office and I just felt very touched by it all. I've had a very privileged life and I'm going to miss what I do," McCoy said correcting himself to say "or what I did".

"Thanks to the BHA they've let me get the trophy that I've had since 2007 - it wasn't made in 1996 - so it's been in my house and I quite like looking at it. It's something that's been my goal every day of my life.

"I wanted to get out while I was still performing well, while I was champion jockey and 20 times was what I thought about for the last five years."

However, McCoy is a more rounded man than the win- machine some might think. "I've seen the very tough side of this sport with colleagues being fatally injured and colleagues being severely injured as well so I feel lucky that I've been able to end my career relatively in one piece. And those lads who we've lost along the way I'll never forget."

Beside him sat McManus who smiled as he said: "I don't think Box Office will ever get a reception like he did today."

History tends to remember the winners, like Capard King.