Racing correspondent Alan Lee dies aged 61

Highly respected racing correspondent Alan Lee has died at the age of 61.

Lee had been The Times' racing reporter since 1999 but had previously been an esteemed cricket writer.

An owner and part-owner of several National Hunt winners, Lee began his career at the Watford Observer in 1970 and was also employed by Hayters Agency and the Mail On Sunday, for whom he was cricket correspondent between 1982-87.

BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght said: "On the coldest and most uninspiring of days, he'd sit down and tap away those golden words that would then appear in The Times the next day.

"He was a huge fan of racing but he was absolutely passionate about jumps racing.

"He lived in Cheltenham and loved not only being at Cheltenham and Aintree, but also all the real jumping places like Ludlow, Perth and Sedgefield.

"He was also a fanatical Arsenal supporter and could often be found in the press room with a little radio, listening to how his side were getting on.

"He had a heart operation in early November. There were initial complications but nothing to panic about.

"We all saw him at Cheltenham a week on Friday and then he was at Ascot two days ago.

"He was in positive form, and he had every right to be in positive form, so we were all left shattered by the news.

"He was just the most brilliant and most natural writer."

Former England cricket captain Michael Atherton said Lee was "a superb journalist and a good friend", while champion jumps trainer Paul Nicholls described the three-times racing writer of the year as "one of the best racing journalists ever".

Tony McCoy also paid tribute to Lee and said he was a "highly respected journalist, most of all a really good man".

Presenter Clare Balding called Lee a "brilliant writer".

She tweeted: "Just seen news that Times racing correspondent Alan Lee has died. He was such a lovely, gentle, kind man and a brilliant writer. So so sad."

Leading owner Andy Stewart said: "I was very sad to hear about Alan Lee, he was a great friend and a great journalist and he will be sadly missed."

Lee, who won the Sports Journalists Association Sports Writer of the Year award in 2001, is survived by two children, daughter Vicky and son James.