Gerald Cottrell - RIP

I remember that The Tatling trained by Milton Bradley would walk in the stalls by himself.

Young Inca survived a desperate attempt at turning him into a hurdler as a 12yo, with connections finally calling it a day after a fall at Devon & Exeter. He finally enjoyed a very long retirement turned out with foals at the yard of Stuart Kittow (Cottrell's son-in-law, who also trains in the Blackdowns, on the Devon/Somerset border).

Young Inca lived to be 30 in the end, which I'd guess is about the equivalent of Cottrell's 97.

Iirc Ian Carnaby was a big fan of Cottrell's sprinters,often used to put them up to follow when coming to the boil.

I was putting up a best turned out prize for a race at Warwick that a horse I owned had won the previous year. Stood just inside the paddock, Mr Cottrell and his owners were a couple of feet away. "Do you think he'll win this Gerald" asked one of the group - "Probably not" he replied, "but if he doesn't win the best turned out there'll be a row".

I did my duty. A beaming Mr Cottrell came up and thanked me, telling me the groom worked really hard to get the horse looking well. Lovely chap.

Young Inca? That brings back memory even for a newbie like me then. What a sprinter! RIP Mr Cottrell!

I used to follow Conspicuous. I can't believe it was nearly 25 years ago when he was winning.

I only just seen this post while searching any info on Gerald
He was my near neighbour, infact only just found out by asking James Millman in convo just now that he had died.
Re Conspicuous it won on a amateur race on tv ridden by Leslie Jefford who was actually Geralds assistant although it’s not mentioned above with Stuart Kittow trainer married to Geralds daughter Judy.