Death of 'stayer' Ardross

THE magnificent stayer Ardross, who won two Gold Cups and ran second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is dead at 18 from a heart attack. As good a stayer as ever graced a European racecourse, Ardross was bred by Irish trainer Paddy Prendergast and was first trained by him and then his son, Kevin. He moved to England and ran second to the Aga Khan's Akiyada in the 1982 Arc when trained by Henry Cecil. He was ridden in his Gold Cup triumphs by Lester Piggott who remembered him here yesterday as ''a real tough horse''.

Piggott said: ''On his day he was one of the best stayers there's been. But he was versatile and he had real class. He showed that in the Arc.''