Tributes pour in following death of Yorkshire trainer Alan Swinbank

The 62-year-old handler had held a licence since 2001, sending out nearly 800 winners, highlighted by top Group-race performers Collier Hill and Turbo Linn.

Curtis developed a fruitful association with Swinbank, riding over 50 winners for him, and believes the Melsonby trainer’s death will be deeply felt within the racing fraternity.

He said: “I rode lots of winners from him, essentially from day one.

“When I came over from Ireland when things dried up, the reason I made the move over was because of Alan.

“We had lots of good days and winning the Cumberland Plate on Kinema a few years ago was a real highlight.

“He loved winners at York and in the north of England, but he was also a hell of a man to buy a horse.

“You could follow him around at the sales and you wouldn’t go far wrong, as he had great judgment and great knowledge on breeding.

“He was a grand man and will be badly missed.”

Swinbank was a dual-purpose trainer who was renowned for turning his classy National Hunt horses into Pattern contenders on the Flat.

Collier Hill developed from a bumper and hurdles performer into a three-time Group One winner.

He won the 2005 Irish St Leger before going on to claim glory in the Canadian International at Woodbine and the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin the following year.

Turbo Linn landed a Listed bumper at Aintree in 2007 before progressing to win that year’s Lancashire Oaks.

Formal Decree was another notable performer, winning the 2006 Cambridgeshire before being bought by Godolphin.

Swinbank is survived by two children, Julian and Michelle.