Racing: Death of two of the greats, Forster and Kelleway

TWO OF the most charismatic and admired racehorse trainers, Tim Forster and Paul Kelleway, have died after long battles against cancer. Although they were men with vastly different approaches to their profession - Forster was noted for his pessimism whereas Kelleway earned the sobriquet pattern-race Paul for his willingness to tilt at the loftiest targets - they were among the most successful of their generation.

Captain Forster OBE, a triple Grand National-winning trainer through Well To Do, Ben Nevis and Last Suspect, had long suffered from both multiple sclerosis and cancer and has died at the age of 65.

Forster handed in his full licence last season but continued to train under permit - he was due to have a runner at Towcester yesterday. His three victories at Aintree put him second behind only Fred Rimell's four National wins in the history of the race. Nevertheless, Forster last year named Martha's Son's victory in the 1997 Queen Mother Champion Chase as the highlight of his training career.

Forster's former assistant Henry Daly, who took over the reins at Downton Hall stables last year, led the tributes. "I worked for him since 1991 and will miss him terribly. He was a unique man - there weren't many like him when he was built - and a legend in his own lifetime. His training record, to turn out over 1,000 winners, speaks for itself."

The jockeys Carl Llewellyn and Rodney Farrant were both quick to add their tributes to a man who was instrumental at the start of their careers. Both were riding at Towcester, where a minute's silence was observed.

Llewellyn said: "He didn't suffer fools but he was just a professional. I loved his dry sense of humour - he was a great bloke. The real test of a trainer is time and he was top class for years and years."

Farrant added: "He would have liked it here today. 'Proper jumping weather' he would have called it. He loved it when it was wet and windy in the mid-winter - this would have been his favourite track."

The trainer Toby Balding said: "That extremely pessimistic exterior hid one of the best senses of humour in the racing world. That, allied to his obvious and tremendous talent made him as enjoyable a person as you could ever wish to meet."

Kelleway, a top National Hunt jockey before he became a trainer, had been receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer for some time and has died at the age of 58.

The highlights of his riding career came with victory in the 1969 Cheltenham Gold Cup on What A Myth for Ryan Price and successive Champion Hurdles in 1971 and 1972 for Fred Winter aboard the great Bula.

He held a trainer's licence for 20 years until his retirement in 1997, his big-race winner including Swiss Maid (1978 Champion Stakes), Madam Gay (1981 French Oaks) and Risk Me (1987 Grand Prix de Paris).