AP McCoy wins at Ludlow after returning from injury

Champion jump jockey AP McCoy made a winning return to action at Ludlow on Thursday evening after nearly a month out with broken ribs.

The 39-year-old Northern Irishman won on the 1-2 favourite Church Field in his first race back.

McCoy, champion jockey 18 times, was injured in a fall at Cheltenham on 18 April and spent a week in hospital.

Jason Maguire has pledged to fight McCoy for the 2013-14 title and had built a 16-winner lead in his absence.

Champion McCoy, who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2010, got off the mark with the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Church Field in a novices' handicap hurdle at the Shropshire track.

In his other ride of the night, he was third on 8-11 favourite My Wigwam Or Yours in the concluding Bumper race, won by Lemony Bay.

McCoy is now in the latter stages of a record-breaking career but he has already set his sights on new landmarks. He is now 124 short of his 4,000th career winner and is seeking a 19th title this season.