Billy Hamilton: the 'wonderful man' who became a reluctant national figure thanks to his homebred Gold Cup third

Billy Hamilton, a farmer from the Scottish borders, has been hailed as "a wonderful man" by the jockey who rode his Earls Brig to finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1985.

Hamilton died late last month at the age of 89, having spent virtually his whole life at Earlside Farm near Hawick. He was born there, farmed there for all his working life and lived there until he moved to a retirement home.

The founding father of a significant racing family became a slightly reluctant national figure thanks to an occasionally erratic jumper who was beaten just four lengths behind Forgive 'n Forget in Britain's most prestigious chase.