Legendary trainer Barry Hills hailed as a 'hero' as tributes pour in after his death at 88

Barry Hills was described as a hero to a generation after the legendary trainer died on Saturday.

Hills, who was 88, had a life and career that will go down in history. During an era when Sir Michael Stoute and Sir Henry Cecil were dominant, Hills was a terrier snapping at their heels.

Though he never fulfilled his ambition to land the Epsom Derby — he saddled the runner-up four times — Hills scooped all manner of big races after sending out his first winner in April 1969. Another 3,180 in Britain would follow.

His training career took flight from the foundation of a good, old-fashioned punt. Hills backed a horse called Frankincense for the 1968 Lincoln at all rates down from 66-1 to 25-1. When Frankincense won, Hills, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2005, was £60,000 better off.

Rheingold, the 1973 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, would be a contender for the best he trained but Hills could get the best out of any horse over any distance. Royal Applause was a Champion Sprinter for him, while he won back-to-back Ascot Gold Cups as well as the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

He also enjoyed success in the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, and in the St Leger.

There was much more to his life than just the horses. From his first marriage, to Maureen Newson in 1959, he had three sons — John, a successful trainer who died in 2014, and twins Richard and Michael, both jockeys. From his second marriage, to Penny Woodhouse in 1977, he had two more sons — Charlie, who took the reins after his father’s retirement in 2011, and George, who works in bloodstock insurance.

Trainer Ralph Beckett said: ‘As a trainer and a man he was an example and a hero to all of my generation. I’ll always be grateful to him.’