Martin Pipe has become the most successful trainer in the history of British racing.

The record-breaking horse was 1-8 favourite Through The Rye, which won the 1.30 race at Folkestone on Friday.

Pipe's 2,989th winner, ridden by long-term jockey Tony McCoy, meant the Somerset trainer went past the British record of the late Arthur Stephenson.

McCoy joked aftewards: "The governor could have put me on one that didn't pull so hard!

"I don't know how Martin does it, day in and day out. A win with a moderate horse gives him just as much pleasure as a Cheltenham victory."

It took Stephenson 46 years to send out 2,988 winners, while Pipe has taken just a quarter of a century to reach the mark, having recorded his first winner in 1975.

Pipe had already beaten Stephenson's mark of 2,644 jumps winners last August, and was awarded a CBE in the recent New Year honours list.

Pipe watched Through The Rye's victory from his Nicholashayne base, and was delighted about the record.

"It's a great thrill to get there. I'm very excited.

"I've just watched it live now, I'm still on a high - very excited. I've got some friends here with me and it's nice to get number 2,989.

"Arthur Stephenson was a fabulous trainer. I met him several times and he really was a genius. I followed his career - he was very shrewd.

"We've had some great horses through the years, great owners, great jockeys.

"Tony McCoy has ridden a lot of winners for me and will ride many more I hope.

"We just keep the horses happy and I couldn't have done it without a fabulous team behind me."

Fellow trainer Venetia Williams paid tribute to Pipe.

"It is a fantastic achievement to have done what Martin has in such a relatively short space of time," she said.

The West Country bookmaker's son has been breaking records for more than a decade.

Already this year he has become the trainer fastest to £1m in prize money in a single season.

Michael Dickinson's previous record mark of 120 winners in a single season was thought to be almost unbeatable when Pipe passed it in 1987/8.

But the record-breaker has now passed 200 in a campaign no fewer than five times, setting new marks as the quickest trainer to 100, 150 and 200 in a single season.

He has also won the prize-money-determined trainers' championship nine times.

Pipe's big-race wins include two Champion Hurdles and five Welsh Grand National wins along with one each in the Grand National, Scottish Grand National and Irish Grand National.

The 54-year-old's feat of four race wins at the Cheltenham Festival in 1997 was something no-one had achieved in 50 years, yet Pipe managed it again the following year.