Former Grand National winning trainer Josh Gifford has passed away at the age of 70.
The former jockey and trainer had recently overcome septicaemia but he died of a heart attack on Thursday morning, his son Nick has confirmed.
"I'm afraid he passed away in the early hours," he said. "He'd been back home for about three weeks but he took a turn for the worse yesterday evening.
"By the early hours he was in a really bad way and in the end it was a heart attack."
Gifford, who was crowned champion jockey four times, saddled Aldaniti to win the Grand National under Bob Champion in 1981 after both jockey and horse battled back from illness to take their chance in the Aintree showpiece.
Champion overcame cancer to ride the horse and together they enjoyed the best-ever day with their story turned into a movie starring John Hurt.
"He was a great jockey, a great trainer and a great man," said Champion. "He was so loyal to his jockeys."
Gifford took over the Downs Stables in 1970 and from there he produced a number of big-race winners including Door Latch, Deep Sensation, Bradbury Star and Katabatic.
Former stable jockey Declan Murphy rode the likes of Deep Sensation and Bradbury Star and he was quick to pay tribute to the trainer, who saddled over 1,500 winners before handing over his licence to Nick in 2003.
"He was such a wonderful man to ride for," he told At The Races. "It was a great honour for me to ride for someone like Josh because he had experienced what few people have.
"He had experienced riding at the highest level. He trained at the highest level and trained great horses.
"To ride for somebody like that who had such an understanding of the game made my job a lot easier."
Tony McCoy tweeted: "Very sad to hear that Josh Gifford trainer & former champion jockey passed away this morning a great man my thoughts are with his family RIP."