AP McCoy on Thursday secured his first Festival win at the 14th attempt when Uxizandre landed the Ryanair Chase . The Alan King-trained 16-1 shot, not considered one of McCoy’s best chances, made all the running to win by five lengths. McCoy’s wife, Chanelle, had admitted that two unsuccessful days had left her soon-to-retire husband in a downbeat mood. But after joining him on the winner’s podium, she said: ‘Inside he will be feeling elated. He is not the most animated at the best of times and he was slightly melancholy leaving the house this morning. This will absolutely mean the world to him. I’ll have a happy husband.’ AP McCoy on his way to winning the Ryanair Chase on board Uxizandre at the Cheltenham Festival . Uxizandre led from start to finish as his rivals failed to catch him during the Ryanair Chase on day three . Uxizandre beat Ma Filleule and Don Cossack into second and third as McCoy celebrated a winner at last . McCoy gets a kiss from his wife Chanelle after winning the third race of the third day of the Festival . 1 Uxizandre A P McCoy | 16-1 . 2 Ma Filleule B J Geraghty 5-1 . 3 Don Cossack B J Cooper 5-2 Fav . McCoy’s 31st Festival success sets him up for his 20th and final ride in the £550,000 Gold Cup today on Carlingford Lough, owned, like Uxizandre, by his boss JP McManus. He has four other rides, including favourite Ned Buntline in the concluding AP McCoy Grand Annual Chase. After timing Uxizandre's run to perfection, McCoy said: 'I would love to say it's a relief, but I actually got such a thrill riding him. I was actually thinking I wouldn't mind riding the horse in next year's Champion Chase. 'He ran away with me for a mile and a half and I thought he would never keep it up, but I was quite happy coming down the hill, he kept looking at the television camera on his inside and I thought he had saved a bit for himself.' He added: 'Fair play to Alan King, he had him spot on for today. 'It's great for JP and Noreen (McManus) as much as anything, they're the people I work for. They have been so good to me, so I'm delighted for JP and Noreen and all the family. 'It's nice. Cheltenham is about winning isn't? 'The thrill this horse gave me, I'll miss riding horses like this, the ones that run away with you and jump like stags. It has to happen at some point. It's a bit sad, but we will worry about it this time next year.' A message on the giant screen pays tribute to McCoy who has just one day of his final Festival left . McCoy was greeted with huge cheers as he celebrated his victory on Uxizandre on Thursday . McCoy celebrates his first winner at what will be his last Cheltenham Festival after a quite stunning career . McCoy with Uxizandre in the winners' enclosure after opening his Cheltenham Festival account this year . McCoy said the fact he still has rides ahead of him is keeping his emotions in check, but that the 2016 festival may be a different story. 'It's going to affect me more next year than this year, because I am still riding. This time next year I am going to miss it - I am missing it already and I haven't stopped yet,' he continued. 'He stuck at it well and it's days like this I am going to miss.' McCoy's family were waiting in the winner's enclosure and while simultaneously thrilled and emotional after the rider's win, his father, Peadar said: 'I hope he gets another one!' JP McManus, to whom McCoy has enjoyed such a fantastic association as retained jockey, said: 'I admire all the jockeys, but AP is some man. Christy Roche rang me some years ago and said "he should be handicapped, not the horses" and I've always remembered that. 'We've never signed a contract or anything. I respect him and love everything he does.' When asked how he would replace McCoy, he said: 'We've had him cloned.' King said: 'He's always been a very good horse but we just lost him a little bit in mid-winter on the heavy ground. 'We hoped that back up to two and a half miles on better ground was the key and my goodness he can go some pace. McCoy was greeted by the winning owner JP McManus after Uxizandre beat Ma Filleule into second . McCoy celebrates winning the Ryanair Chase on St Patrick's Day during the Cheltenham Festival . 'It's huge for the whole team and I'm delighted to part of the whole AP thing as well. The horses have been running well all week, but there's nothing like a winner here. 'It's the only way to ride him, to let him bowl along and we wanted to see if he was a Queen Mother horse earlier in the season. 'To be fair, AP said at halfway he was wishing he'd run in the Queen Mother as he didn't think he'd last home but it was only last year he was narrowly beaten here in the JLT and then won a Grade One at Aintree. 'Spring ground helps and some of his jumps today were breathtaking. 'We'll not see AP's like again, the winners, the dedication - I'm just delighted to have played a small part in it.' Of Ma Filleule, Anthony Bromley, representing owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: 'She ran a brilliant race and I'm delighted for the connections of the winner as he's an ex-Million In Mind horse and I think the visor has probably helped him. 'Our mare ran great race and assuming she's OK, we'll aim towards the Bowl back over three miles at Aintree.'
Champion jockey AP McCoy is riding in his final Cheltenham Festival . He had failed to win a race in 14 rides over the first two days . But he rode Uxizandre from the front to win the Ryanair Chase at 16/1 . Ma Filleule (5/1) Don Cossack (5/2f) finished second and third .