Racing: Gifford leaves stage to deserved acclaim

The 4.40 at Sandown on Saturday, the attheraces.co.uk handicap, was not ostensibly a great romantic work. That it became such a celebrated race had nothing to do with any jockey or horse, but rather with the winning trainer, the high priest of these occasions, in Josh Gifford.

Victory for Skycab was hardly "Aldanati, the sequel", but it was an appropriately scripted success as Gifford bowed out on a winner, number 1,587. His son Nick is now the guv'nor at Downs House in Findon and Josh, at 61, still gets the carriage clock as he was 11 years of age and 4st 6lb when he rode Controller at Newmarket in April 1953, his first, size three, step on to the turf.

There have been plenty of outstanding times in and out of the saddle along the way, a fact warmly recognised by the huge crowd around the weighing room at Esher. You half expected Josh to get the bumps.

There have been moments, however, that Gifford would like to expunge from his mind. Foremost is the fate of Rouble in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle last year.

The six-year-old had won his three previous starts but fate had reserved for him a terrible end as he fractured cannon bones in both front legs and had to be destroyed. It was one of the most macabre sights witnessed on a racecourse and Gifford is reminded of the moment daily.

"You never get used to that sort of thing as a trainer," he says. "It never gets better. That was awful and I still think about it now when I go past his box."

Gifford put Rouble right up there with Kybo and Deep Sensation as the best horses to pass through his hands. And quickly has come another potentially top beast in Rouble's full brother. A kopeck may only be a hundredth of a rouble in Moscow, but at Findon the horse of that name is much closer to parity.

"He's very similar," Gifford says. "The same temperament and they look the full brothers they are. Leighton Aspell schooled him over hurdles and said that if you had your eyes shut you wouldn't have known if you were on him or Rouble."

It is one of Joshua Thomas Gifford's great pleasures that he is handing over such a tank of promise to his 31-year-old son. The trainer had the owners to go on but his major satisfaction in years to come will be the vicarious one of watching Nick bang in winners.

"I've had 50 years at it and I've enjoyed every second. I've been very lucky," he says. "I shall get an even bigger thrill if Nick makes a success of it.

"Nick will hold the licence. He'll be giving the orders and training the horses. I'll ride out every day and do as I'm told. I shall still be about and very much involved. We all will."

All includes another notable equestrian figure in daughter Tina, the international three-day eventer. "After next year's Olympics I think she'll ease off with the event world and hopefully join Nick," Gifford says.

There will other sports on the itinerary for what we must now call the former trainer. He will watch as much cricket as possible, swing his golf clubs with hands recently restored from arthritis. "And I shall enjoy a day's shooting now rather than feel guilty about going away."

There will be plenty of accomplices to share the days as Gifford the party animal has made many friends along the way. The face tells the story. It is burgundy on the outside due to the burgundy that has been put inside.

An education for young hacks would be a freezing morning on the Findon gallops followed by refreshment at Downs House. Josh would prepare the drinks and, just as you expected to hear the coffee gurgling there would be the noise of ice cubes finding the bottom of a tumbler. For Josh, interval training meant the time he could stretch out between gin and tonics.

Yet he retires a relatively healthy man now that eyesight problems have also been cured. Gifford leaves both personal memories and the recollection of highly improbable professional deeds, most notably Aldaniti's success in the 1981 Grand National. The trainer himself still remembers the day fondly if not the subsequent film.

"I still think about Aldaniti all the time," he says. "But not Edward Woodward [who portrayed him in Champions]. I thought he overdid the cigarette business, making out I was having one after the other."

The repetitions about this trainer really involved the man's feats. He did it with Aldaniti and he did it all again on Saturday as he left the scene. Josh Gifford made us believe in fairytales.

Italian win boosts Hold That Tiger

As the jumps season shuffles off, only to recommence at Hexham today, the European Classic season kicked off in Rome yesterday with a win for Le Vei Dei Colori in the Italian 2,000 Guineas, the Premio Parioli.

That will cheer the supporters of Hold That Tiger, who inflicted the only defeat on Le Vei Dei Colori at Longchamp last year. Aidan O'Brien's colt remains 2-1 favourite for the Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday.

In Paris, the Japan Cup winner Falbrav failed to start his career with Luca Cumani with a win, finishing third to Fair Mix in the Group One Prix Ganay.