ALL racing and sporting eyes will be on one racecourse and one man this afternoon.

There will be an emotional mix of cheers and tears at Sandown as the legendary Tony McCoy steps out to ride for the final time before hanging up his boots after the most distinguished career imaginable in which he re-wrote the record books.

Remarkably, has been champion jockey every season of his professional life.

The first year was when he won the conditional title and today he will be presented with his 20th consecutive National Hunt jockeys’ championship in a career which has yielded well more than 4,300 winners and, thanks to his undiluted passion and determination, has become a household name as ‘Mr Reli - ability’, the jockey who never gives up.

McCoy will ride in two races at Sandown. Both horses are owned by JP McManus, who has been his mainstay retainer for a decade.

It would surely be asking too much to expect Mr Mole and Box Office to provide McCoy with a double. But why not? This is a man who makes this happen, who often writes his own script through his sheer will to win.

Mr Mole, trained by Paul Nicholls, runs in the £125,000 bet365 A P McCoy Celebration Chase.

The seven-year-old has been something of a revelation this season and, although he failed to fire in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month, he could well bounce back in this Grade 1 event over a course and distance where he has scored in the past.

Box Office runs in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle and although he has found winning difficult in recent outings, it is surely a tip in itself that Jonjo O’Neill has confirmed him to be McCoy’s final mount.

The trainer would hardly be running him if he felt Box Office couldn’t go close.

Come the end of the day, National Hunt fans won’t know whether to laugh or cry that McCoy will never again pit his extraordinary talents against others in this most dangerous of occupations.

Also worth noting at Sandown are the lightly-weighted Paint The Clouds in the bet365 Gold Cup Chase and the high-class Southfield Vic (5.35).

At Ripon, the £25,000 Ripon - BET Our Profits Stay In Racing Handicap over two miles has attracted a smart field, including Suegioo and Angel Gabrial, first and second in last year’s Chester Cup.

The pair, however, are opposed by Clever Cookie, who went from strength to strength for Peter Niven last year and who has more to offer this season.

A little bit more ease in the ground - and rain is forcecast - will suit Clever Cookie, the mount of Graham Lee.

In the £25,000 Visit attheraces.com/punchestown Handicap, Duke Cosimo is fancied to make the most of bottom weight.

The five-year-old, trained by David Barron, should have benefited from a recent outing, and is a course and distance winner here. Shane Gray has the mount.

Gray could also win the Ripon - BET Place6 Lucky Dip Handicap on nap selection Trail Blaze, trained by his boss Kevin Ryan.

Gray won this race on the same horse last year. Trail Blaze looks to be running into form and his front-running tactics are well suited to this course.

Risk Adjusted (2.15), who impressed on his debut and the promising Decorated Knight (4.35) are also worth noting.

Sandown today: 2.00 Alzammaar, 2.35 Al Ferof, 3.15 Mr Mole, 3.50 Paint The Clouds, 4.25 Box Office, 5.00 Generous Ransom, 5.35 Southfield Vic.

Ripon today: 1.45 Lady Kashaan, 2.15 Risk Adjusted, 2.50 Trail Blaze (NAP), 3.25 Duke Cosimo, 4.00 Clever Cookie, 4.35 Decorated Knight, 5.10 Beau Eile.

Today’s other meetings: Doncaster, Haydock, Leicester and Wolverhampton.

Tomorrow’s meetings: Chelmsford and Wetherby.