<text>  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 McCoys best chances, made all the running to win by five lengths. McCoys 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 winners 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. Ill 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 . McCoys 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 Uxizandres run to perfection, McCoy said: I would love to say its a relief, but I actually got such a thrill riding him. I was actually thinking I wouldnt mind riding the horse in next years 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. Its great for JP and Noreen McManus as much as anything, theyre the people I work for. They have been so good to me, so Im delighted for JP and Noreen and all the family. Its nice. Cheltenham is about winning isnt? The thrill this horse gave me, Ill miss riding horses like this, the ones that run away with you and jump like stags. It has to happen at some point. Its 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. Its 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 havent stopped yet, he continued. He stuck at it well and its days like this I am going to miss. McCoys family were waiting in the winners enclosure and while simultaneously thrilled and emotional after the riders 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 Ive always remembered that. Weve never signed a contract or anything. I respect him and love everything he does. When asked how he would replace McCoy, he said: Weve had him cloned. King said: Hes 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 Patricks Day during the Cheltenham Festival . Its huge for the whole team and Im delighted to part of the whole AP thing as well. The horses have been running well all week, but theres nothing like a winner here. Its 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 hed run in the Queen Mother as he didnt think hed 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. Well not see APs like again, the winners, the dedication - Im 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 Im delighted for the connections of the winner as hes an ex-Million In Mind horse and I think the visor has probably helped him. Our mare ran great race and assuming shes OK, well aim towards the Bowl back over three miles at Aintree. 