Ivan Allan: owner of 1984 St Leger winner Commanche Run

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker/racingpostpix.com 

Owner and trainer Ivan Allan dies aged 68

IVAN ALLAN, a multiple champion trainer in the Far East but best remembered in Britain as the owner of Commanche Run, the 1984 winner of the St Leger, has died in Singapore after a long illness.

Allan, who was 68, was one of the most successful trainers in the history of racing in Hong Kong and his native Singapore, but also enjoyed a string of successes in Britain with horses such as Commanche Run, Classic Cliche, Citidancer, Capricorn Belle and Chateau Istana. He also raced horses in partnership with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Commanche Run helped Lester Piggott set a new record for the number of Classic winners ridden by a jockey when becoming the rider's 28th Classicvictory in the St Leger and the following season added the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup and the Irish Champion Stakes to his tally.

Allan was seven times champion trainer of Malaysia and Singapore and trained for 12 years in Hong Kong until he retired at the end of the 2003-04 season, a period in which he clinched three titles and produced six Horse of the Year winners.

Luca Cumani, who trained Commanche Run for Allan, said: "I was very privileged to train for him and we had some great times with Commanche Run.

"He was extremely knowledgeable about horses and racing in general and it's really sad to hear this news.

"I saw him in Hong Kong last year and had a long chat with him and we always remained on very good terms. I knew he had gone back to Singapore."