'He was a great fellow' - globetrotting former champion John Curant dies at 69

Jockey John Curant, a former champion apprentice who rode around 500 winners worldwide in a long and varied career, has died at the age of 69.

Having started out with Boggy Whelan in Epsom and ridden his first winner at the age of 16, he took the claimers' title in 1973 and won the Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster on Alexben the following year.

He went on to ride for Ken Payne and then Toby Balding before moving to Ireland to work for Richard Annesley and then Wally Swinburn snr, winning the Moyglare Stakes at the Curragh on Regal Ray in 1976.

One of the best horses he rode was the Payne-trained Kithairon, who finished second in the July Stakes at Newmarket and then went on to win a number of mile handicaps.

Curant, whose elder brother Bob was also a successful jockey, had stints in Germany, India, Kenya and Macau before returning to Britain and scoring twice on speedy two-year-old Tinker Osmaston at the age of 42 in 1993.

He died last week after a long struggle with cancer, and long-time friend Joe Bennett said: "It's very sad, he's a big loss.

"He met me off the train at Epsom station when I came down to be an apprentice 53 years ago and took me to my digs. We served our time together with Boggy Whelan and we've been friends ever since. He was a great fellow, the life and soul of the party.

"About seven years ago they told him he probably had a couple of years to live, but he was such a battler he went on for another five years."

Curant is survived by Bob and younger brother Les and his sister Sue. A funeral, for family and close friends, will be held next Wednesday.