'I had the greatest respect for him' - tributes pour in following the death of trainer John Spearing

John Spearing, described as a "top man who trained some great winners", has died at the age of 82 after a long illness.

He won more than 800 races on the Flat and over jumps, most notably with Run And Skip who landed the Welsh National and Anthony Mildmay, Peter Cazalet Memorial Chase, and was fourth behind Dawn Run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986.

Spearing was Britain's second-longest-serving trainer at the time of his retirement in January, despite suffering life-threatening injuries in a serious gallops accident five years ago.

His daughter Teresa said on Friday: "Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and passed away yesterday, it was very peaceful. He received excellent care in the Lawns Nursing Home in Kempsey."

Spearing, who was brought up on the outskirts of Moreton-In-Marsh (on land his brother David still farms), took out a permit in 1965 and his first winner under rules was Wrens Yarn — whom he rode himself — at Worcester in 1969.

He graduated to a full licence after being asked to train the disappointing Glendale, who he won 13 races with, and spent the last three decades of his career based at the Rimell family's stronghold of Kinnersley Stables in Worcestershire.

He landed the Racing Post Chase and Sky Bet Chase with Mercy Rimell's Simon in 2007, while the pick of his Flat horses included Listed winners Vax Lady, Vax Star, Croeso Croeso and Pintle plus Rapid Lad, who won a remarkable 12 times at Beverley.

Run And Skip won four long-distance chases in a busy 1985-86 season, despite not being easy to train, and Teresa Spearing recalled: "What dad did with that horse was incredible. We had the equivalent of a jacuzzi that we used to put ice and salt in and after school we'd all hold Run And Skip as he stood in it for hours on end just to keep him sound."

He was ridden by Peter Scudamore, who said: "I had the privilege of riding Run And Skip, who wasn't easy to train. John was a very hands-on trainer and a good feeder of horses, and I had the greatest respect for him.

"Run And Skip proved that given the right ammunition he could do the job. If you were riding one of his round Worcester or Wolverhampton and he said it would win, it would. One day he said 'don't go down the inside' but I did and we ran out — he knew his horses!"

Peter Scudamore: "I had the greatest respect for John Spearing"Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Andrew Thornton rode Simon to his greatest wins and said: "John was straight down the line. Like Simon's owner, Mercy Rimell, he said exactly what he thought. His horses were always fit and if he said they had a chance, they certainly did — whether it was five furlongs or three and a half miles.

Fellow trainer and old friend David Evans said: "I got on well with him and I used to use his gallop when I was at Annabel King's in the 1980s. He was a very good trainer from limited opportunities. He kept himself to himself, if he had one lined up no-one would know about it."

His final winner as a trainer was Danny Bleu at Chepstow, where his Kinnersley Partnership colours were carried to victory in March by Shutthegate, who moved to Henry Oliver after he handed in his licence.

The trainer, who partnered many winners for Spearing in his riding days and moved from his old yard in Abberley to Kinnersley this season, said: “John was a great trainer and he was very good to me in my riding career. He lived and breathed racing — that was his life. When I was champion conditional, John picked up my trophy as I was riding at Market Rasen.

"I was winding him up telling him there was no cheque for doing that! John was really good fun and a top man who trained some great winners."

Henry Oliver: trained Shutthegate to win for Spearing at ChepstowCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The annual Rapid Lad Handicap on April 27 will again commemorate Spearing's track specialist at Beverley, whose chief executive Sally Iggulden said: "Rapid Lad used to detach himself round the bottom bend and get miles back then absolutely fly up the home straight; he loved the uphill finish here. People still talk about Rapid Lad now; we have a bar named after him and John was really proud of that."

JOHN SPEARING CV

Full name John Lionel Spearing

Born Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, May 7, 1940

Father Lionel Spearing (farmer)

Riding career two winners under rules as amateur rider

Stables Oldborough Farm, Moreton-in-Marsh 1965-70; Windmill Stables, Kineton 1970-72; Sheriffs Lench, Evesham 1972-75; Moor Hall, Wixford, near Alcester 1975-97; Kinnersley Racing Stables, Kinnersley 1998-2022

First winner as permit-holder Wrens Yarn (ridden by himself) Worcester, May 1, 1969

First winner as licence-holder Glendale, Haydock, December 1, 1971

First winner on Flat Alison's My Girl, Leicester, October 20, 1975

Welsh National winner Run And Skip (1985)

Run And Skip's other notable wins 1985 Food Brokers Armour Chase, 1986 Anthony Mildmay, Peter Cazalet Memorial Chase, 1988 Flowers Original Chase

In the frame in Cheltenham Gold Cup Run And Skip (4th in 1986)

Sky Bet (Great Yorkshire) & Racing Post Chase winner Simon (2007)

Grand Sefton Chase winner Hakim (2005)

Listed winners on Flat Vax Lady (1990 Pearl Sprint), Vax Star (1996 Dragon Trophy), Croeso Croeso (2003 Lansdown Fillies' Stakes), Pintle (2007 Dick Hern Fillies' Stakes)

Other big-race winners Solihull Sport (1984 Happy New Year Chase), Ishkomann (1984 Sea Pigeon Hurdle, 1986 Whitbread Pale Ale Hurdle), Lucedeo (1991 Gosforth Park Cup), Tom's Prize (2003 Grimthorpe Chase), Jacks Craic (2006 Red Rum Chase)

Last winner Danny Bleu, Chepstow, August 22, 2022

Highest-rated horse Run And Skip (168 in Chasers & Hurdlers 1985/86)

Course specialist Rapid Lad (12 wins at Beverley 1983-89)

Most prolific winners in a season On Edge (8 handicap wins 1981), Cashel Mead (8 handicap wins 2006), Cree Bay (7 wins 1982)

Most wins in a season 27 in 1984-85 (jumps), 21 in 2006 (Flat)

Total wins as trainer 817 in Britain (397 jumps, 420 Flat), 1 in Ireland

Compiled by John Randall