Racing legend Gifford, the man who trained Aldaniti, dies at the age of 70

By Marcus Townend for the Daily Mail
Updated: 16:57 BST, 9 February 2012

（頭が）ひょいと動く 支持する／優勝者 believes the unswerving 忠義 shown to 同僚s 反映するd the true 手段 of Grand 国家の-winning trainer Josh Gifford who has died 老年の 70.

にもかかわらず, a career spanning almost 50 years and 含むing four jump (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手 選手権s and over 1,500 勝利者s as a trainer, Gifford will forever be associated with the emotional 1981 国家の when 支持する／優勝者 fought 支援する from 癌 to 勝利，勝つ on board Aldaniti, who himself had 回復するd from 手足を不自由にする／（物事を）損なうing 傷害.

Throughout the ありそうもない tale and as 支持する／優勝者 耐えるd the emotional rollercoaster of chemotherapy, Gifford realised the importance of the Aintree goal for his (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手 as he helped orchestrate one of the most remarkable stories the sport has ever seen.

One of the 広大な／多数の／重要なs: Gifford with Jenny Pitman in 1997

Unsurprisingly, the script made it to the big 審査する with actor Edward Woodward playing Gifford.

支持する／優勝者 said: ‘People did not think I’d get 支援する and when I did they not think I really had. His 約束 in me was rewarded. He kept giving me 信用／信任 and he did that throughout my career as he did for all the lads who 棒 for him.

‘I’ll also remember that he was a 広大な／多数の／重要な (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手 - people forget how good he was - and then a fantastic trainer.

‘He also 絶対 brilliant with the owners. Even if they’d had a bad day, they went home feeling they had had a good on e.’

Gifford was only 14 when riding his first 勝利者 on Dorsol at Birmingham in 1956. Other successes as an 見習い工 （機の）カム in the Chester Cup and November 障害（者）.

But rising 負わせる 誘発するd a switch to jumping and a link up with the stable of Captain Ryan Price at Findon in Sussex, from where he himself would later train.

Legend: Gifford taking part in an Oxfam （選挙などの）運動をする during his time as a (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手

Racing 広大な／多数の／重要な: Gifford the (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手 with trainer Ryan Price (left) and with actress Diana Rigg (権利)

Their successes together amazingly 含むd four of the first runnings of the ひどく 競争の激しい Schweppes 障害物, now known as the Betfair 障害物 and 予定 to be run at Newbury on Friday.

Rosyth (1963-4), Le Vermontois (1966), and the 議論の的になる Hill House (1967), who kept the race after 最初 failing a 地位，任命する-race 実験（する） which 誘発するd a successful 合法的な challenge, 反映するd the potent combination of the Gifford-Price combination.

It was after riding in the 1970 Grand 国家の? that Gifford, whose daughter Tina was a 二重の bronze medallist in the British three-day eventing team at the Beijing Olympics, suddenly retired at the age of 28.

The に引き続いて 30 years saw his 指名する associated as he trainer of some iconic steeplechasing 指名するs.

They 含むing 1993 Queen Mother 支持する／優勝者 Chase 勝利者 深い Sensation, 1978 Hennessy hero Approaching, 1982 Whitbread Gold Cup Shady 取引，協定, 二重の SGB Chase 勝利者 Door Latch (1985-6) 同様に as Bradbury 星／主役にする, twice successful in the Mackeson Gold Cup (1993-4).

Unforgettable: （頭が）ひょいと動く 支持する／優勝者 rides the Gifford-trained Aldaniti to victory in the 1981 Grand 国家の

This second 行う／開催する／段階 of his racing life, which almost won him a trainer’s 選手権 in 1988 when pipped on the last day of the season by his friend David Elsworth, 結論するd at the end of the 2002-3 season with victory for Skycab under Leighton Aspell at one of his favourite 跡をつけるs, Sandown, after which cricket-loving Gifford 手渡すd the reins of his stable to his son Nick.

Former stable (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手 Richard 列／漕ぐ／騒動, who 棒 Shady 取引，協定, also paid 尊敬の印 to his old boss.

He said: ‘My time there was the best for both of our careers, he was a 広大な／多数の／重要な man to work for. "Some of the horses I 棒 for him were 最高の，を越す-class. Kybo was the best, it was just unfortunate that he broke a 脚 before the Gold Cup. I was only talking about him with Josh last week.

‘The 推論する／理由 my dad was so keen for me to join Josh was that he'd been a 広大な／多数の／重要な (v)策を弄する／(n)騎手 and he said there'd be no-one better to learn off. He was 権利. And so it's been with my training, I often think 'what would Josh do now' and try to copy him. I couldn't have wished for a better teacher.’