Former Group One horse racing trainer Pat Haslam

Group One-winning former trainer Pat Haslam has died aged 69, his son Ben has announced.

Haslam, who was based in Middleham, North Yorkshire, was a respected dual-purpose handler and trained more than 1,000 winners, including 2005 Prix de l’Opera heroine Kinnaird.

Haslam’s other star performers included Godstone, Pipe Major, Maroussies Wings, Hawkley and Mummy’s Pleasure.

He also achieved a landmark feat of training a winner at every British racecourse - with the exception of recent additions Great Leighs and Ffos Las.

Haslam first took out a trainer’s licence in 1972 and retired in 2010, when his son assumed control of Castle Hill Stables.

Ben Haslam said: “He was fighting an illness for a long time and passed away yesterday. He was a very shrewd trainer. He had a lot of bad horses, but it was all about winning with what you had, and he did that so successfully.

“He also had many good ones, though, and Kinnaird was a great horse.

“He bought her very cheaply at the breeze-ups and she ended up winning the May Hill and then the Prix de l’Opera – she would have the biggest spot in terms of achievements. “King Revo was also an important winner for him. “He always wanted to train a winner at Cheltenham and when AP (McCoy) won on him, that completed the full set of training winners at all the racecourses in Britain.

“He was a top trainer, a great man and a great father.”

Pat Haslam.