Racing Newstony McCoy continued his phenomenal run of success at Bangor yesterday when riding the fastest 150 winners in a season on Deano's Beeno in the Astbury Wren Handicap Hurdle. Not content with that, he went on to register win number 151 for Jymjam Johnny in the Bodfari Stud Handicap Chase.

Never in any danger of defeat, the long odds-on favourite, Deano's Beeno trained by Martin Pipe, made every yard of the running and cruised home on a tight rein four lengths clear of Buckhouse Boy.

No fewer than 93 of McCoy's 150 winners have been trained by Pipe and the jockey, after being presented with a bottle of champagne in the winner's enclosure to mark his feat, said: "Having the Pipe horses to ride is a big help. They make my job a lot easier. I would like to thank Mr Pipe and also my agent David Roberts for doing such a great job on my behalf."

McCoy has been feeling a little under the weather recently, not that you would have guessed judging by his brilliant riding day in and day out, which has enabled him to build up an unassailable lead in the jockeys' championship.

"I have had a bit of flu for the last week or two and haven't felt great," he admitted. "But it hasn't been bad enough for me to take any days off." Looking up to the skies as snow flakes fluttered down, he added with a smile: "It looks as though we will all be having some days off shortly in any case!"

McCoy picked out the recent retirement of his Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning mount Mr Mulligan as the low point of his season so far. As for the highlight, he said: "It is difficult to pick out just one. I suppose this is it, riding 150 winners."

McCoy, who broke his own record when setting the fastest 50 winners on September 3rd, likewise notched the fastest century aboard Sam Rockett at Newton Abbot on November 5th.

Asked whether he would now be gunning for Peter Scudamore's 1988 record total of 221 winners in a season, McCoy said cautiously: "There is a long way to go. If I am still in one piece after Cheltenham then we shall see."