Andrew Thornton leads tributes to ‘old-school’ trainer Robert Alner

The retired jockey rode the Alner-trained Cool Dawn to Cheltenham glory in 1998 in the colours of owner Dido Harding who is now a Tory peer.

This was the controversial race that saw the favourite See More Business effectively taken out when AP McCoy was forced to pull up Cyborgo abruptly with a suspected injury.

And while this was Thornton’s biggest win for the Dorset trainer, the most poignant came when they teamed up to win the 2007 Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Miko De Beauchene.

The emotional victory at the Welsh track came just weeks after a horrific car crash left Alner fighting for his life. Paralysed and wheelchair-bound, he was given just two years to live by doctors who remained in awe of their patient’s resilience.

“He’d been going to Odstock Hospital every two months on and off for the last 12 years,” recalled Thornton who is now a TV pundit.

“The nurses knew him like part of the family. Even last week one of the nurses was reading him the Racing Post and read him it even though he wasn’t in a good way.

“I didn’t see him as much as I’d like to as I live up north now, but I’d try to get to see him when I was down there. I always said Robert spoke more after the car accident than he did before it.”

Thornton, 47, says he would never have reached the 1,000 winner milestone before retiring if it wasn’t for the support of Alner.

“When I was still riding he was still following my career. He was a massive part of my career – there’s no question I wouldn’t have achieved what I did without him. I met him at the right time and we moved along together,” he reflected.

“I suppose he was one of the last old school trainers. He had around 65 horses, predominantly chasers, and a lot that came from Ireland like Cool Dawn and Super Tactics, but he moved with the times – Miko De Beauchene came from France.

“To have had horses of the class of Cool Dawn, Sir Rembrandt, Kingscliff, The Listener and Miko De Beauchene while never having more than around 60 horses takes some doing.

“His horses stood the test of time, Super Tactics was 14, Twisted Logic won at 13, he just had very tough horses who kept coming back. It is said horses take after their trainer and his did, they just kept coming back and he did the same. He was given two years to live after the crash and he lasted over 12.

“He was never fazed about going to Ascot to take on the big boys and he’d just tell me to jump out and keep kicking.

“The one thing I will always remember is leaving home at 5.30am to get to his for 7am, I’d walk in the kitchen and Robert or Sally would say ‘you know where the kettle is, help yourself’.

“When Miko won the Welsh National, that was a very emotional time for all of us.”

Alner continued to train under a joint licence with his wife, Sally, until 2010, when the pair announced their retirement.

Other notable successes included 1997 Whitbread Gold Cup hero Harwell Lad and 2002 Cleeve Hurdle winner Kates Charm.

Alner is survived by his wife, his daughters Louise and Jennifer, and four grandchildren.

His son-in-law is Yorkshire-born Robert Walford who rode Kingscliff to victory in the 2005 Betfair Chase at Haydock for Alner.

Walford, whose family hail from Ryedale, is now a successful trainer whose dual Becher Chase hero Walk In The Mill is a leading contender for this year’s Randox Health Grand National.

The James Best-ridden steeplechaser was fourth to Tiger Roll in last year’s National and runs in the same colours as Alner’s Gold Cup hero Cool Dawn.

“Sadly Robert has passed away,” said Walford. “Obviously he had the car crash a long time ago, but I don’t think it has been as big a struggle in recent years as perhaps many people think. The last week has been difficult, though.”