Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Mark Bradstock dies aged 66 after a long illness... with jockey Nico de Boinville paying tribute to 'fantastic man'

Mark Bradstock, the trainer whose small yard consistently defied the odds with victories in big races, has died aged 66 after a long illness.

Bradstock memorably oversaw the remarkable campaign of Coneygree, which ended in a memorable victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 2015. 

The success was significant as he was the first novice to win the blue riband since Captain Christy in 1974.

Other good horses to pass through Bradstock’s hands were the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup Chase winner Carruthers, Cheltenham Festival victor King Harald and Cossack Dancer. 

‘The Gold Cup was a fantastic day, it got me going in my career and I owe the Bradstock family an awful lot,’ said jockey Nico de Boinville, who rode Coneygree. 

‘It’s been devastating to see him have such a horrible illness, it’s a very sad day for everyone. He was a fantastic man.’

Meanwhile, Thunder Rock, trained by Olly Murphy and ridden by Sean Bowen, will be aimed at Aintree’s Grade One Bowl Chase in April after a thumping performance in Kelso’s Premier Steeplechase yesterday.