Walter Swinburn, who won the Epsom Derby on Shergar, died after falling from a bathroom window in London.

Known as the boy wonder he was just an apprentice when he won the Derby on Shergar, there were two more wins to come, one on Lammtarra and Shahrastrani, plus wins in the Irish Derby, King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders Cup in the United States, on turf.

Swinburn suffered what was proved fatal head injuries; his father believes this was precipitated by one of the epileptic fits that had become common in the years following the Hong Kong racecourse crash that almost killed the popular jockey in 1996.

Hundreds of mourners came together in a Newmarket church to remember and honour the jockey, that was fondly known as the Choirboy, whose achievements in the saddle assured him of favourable comparisons with the best flat riders of any era, he was 39 years of age.