A top-class jumper who loved - and was loved by - Cheltenham

Two things helped Fondmort build a big following – he was a spectacular jumper of a fence and a standing dish at Cheltenham.

He won both the big Cheltenham 2m5f chases in the autumn and ran in five consecutive festivals, finishing unplaced in the Arkle, second then third in the Mildmay of Flete, and was just beaten in the Ryanair before enjoying his finest hour 12 months later when winning it.

He was owned by Bill Brown, who has been in poor health in recent years, but Fondmort is still going strong at 20 years of age and lives in the lap of luxury in Sussex with Bill’s wife Tracy Stone-Brown.