Tributes have been paid to Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Mark Bradstock, who has died at the age of 66 after a long illness.
The Lambourn-based handler and his wife Sara prepared Coneygree to become the first novice in 41 years to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2015. This helped launch the career of jockey Nico de Boinville, who rode Coneygree to the victory and who paid his respects with dozens of racing followers on social media.
Nico said: “Thinking of the Bradstock family. I owe them all so much, they played an integral part in getting me going. Mark will be hugely missed.”
National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey visited Mark on Thursday and said: “We were not sure if he recognised us, but when Sara brought his 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree on to the yard lawn so that he could see him, the smile that came on to his face was one I will never forget.”
Mark, who was based in Oxfordshire, also won the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup with Carruthers and the 2018 Bet365 Gold Cup with Step Back.
His last runner was Mr Vango, who won the Devon National by a whopping 60 lengths on 23 February and could run in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham Festival next week.
Mark said after the race: “You don’t see many horses win by that sort of distance. He’s over 18hh and conditions weren’t a problem for him. It was very exciting, we are over the moon.”
Mark will be fondly remembered for his campaigning of Coneygree, a son of Plaid Maid, bred by his late father-in-law Lord Oaksey. The horse has remained with the Bradstocks since his 2019 retirement and recently took part in a team chase at the age of 17.
As well as wife Sara, Mark is survived by son Alfie, an international showjumper and eventer, and daughter Lily, a successful point-to-point jockey and event rider.
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