Newmarket trainer dies

Newmarket trainer Alec Stewart died this morning after a long illness, aged 49.

The handler was best known for his association with dual Coral-Eclipse winner Mtoto and his successful link with owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, for whom he trained the likes of high-class Group One winner Mutamam.

Mutamam won the Canadian International in 2001 for Stewart, one of several top races jockey Richard Hills won for Stewart.

A stable spokesman confirmed: “He died this morning.”

“It’s very sad. I have known him all my racing career,” said Hills. “He was assistant to Tom Jones when I was an apprentice. I rode for him when he first started training and he gave me my first real chances when I won the Prince Of Wales’s on Mtoto.

“Then there was Wagon Master and obviously Mutamam, who I won the International on in Canada, and there have been a lot of other great horses as well.

“He was a great friend, a greater trainer and will be sadly missed. It’s terrible.

“I rode work for him on King George day and that was the last time I saw him, and he didn’t look very well then.”