Graham McCourt will always be remembered for springing the biggest surprise in Cheltenham Gold Cup history aboard 100-1 shot Norton's Coin in 1990.

Racing fans will also no doubt recall him taking the Champion Hurdle aboard Royal Gait.

But he was last heard of calling time on his tenure as a trainer back in 2002 when he was based at Letcombe Regis, near Wantage.

However, it will come as no shock to find that the 45-year-old is still very much involved in racing, this time in the role of assistant trainer at the Cotswold yard of David Wintle.

"I started last July so it's coming up to a year now," he said. "My job really is to round up a few new clients, and luckily some of the good owners that I used to train for have got horses with us too.

"I have been buying a few as well, and got a Zaffaran four-year-old recently that I think could be very nice."

McCourt took out a licence himself in 1996 after a 20-year riding career, in which he amassed around 920 winners.

However, despite a couple of decent performers like Red Curate and Sister Stephanie, he decided that the financial side was providing too many headaches.

"It was not so much that I was not making it pay, I just thought it was taking up too much of my time and I wasn't getting the reward for the work I was putting in," he went on.

"I had some very good people, but some bad ones, and the good ones were paying for the bad ones really.

"I spent more time paying the bills and chasing up money than I did training the horses, and I always promised that if it was not worthwhile, then I'd walk away, and I made that decision.

"I then had a wonderful year off and I went down to Spain for a while and also to New Zealand and France. I met up with a few people I had wanted to get in touch with, made some contacts, and bought a few horses."

McCourt ended his riding career at 36 because he was "just too old", but he has no regrets about hanging up his boots.

"My father Matt trained, and then I trained and rode for three years, but I'd been riding 80 or so winners a season and doing both just got too hectic. I promised I would quit then.

"I didn't have time to miss it like lots of lads do, and I really enjoyed training.

"I was quite lucky with the injuries - I was always a bit heavy and broke a few bones, but I had so many good times.

"Norton's Coin in the Gold Cup is the one that most people remember, but I was probably better winning a selling hurdle at Perth than I ever was on Norton's!

"The pleasure is in winning and you are never thinking about the money. I can't even play a game of golf or squash and think about losing.

"You never appreciate it at the time - you look back and think, Christ, did I ride all those winners?

"When I stopped I was fifth in the all-time list, but they've all shot by me now, and I think I've been left in about 15th now!"

McCourt's immediate plans are to expand the Wintle operation, where his responsibilities are purely equine rather than financial.

"It's a wonderful place to set up and we have a few Flat horses along with the jumpers," he said.

" We haven't made a wonderful start, but Dave and I had to have a clear-out and we have got some really good owners.

"The most enjoyable part is dealing with the horses, as being a racehorse trainer takes up all day and every day. There's a lot less pressure now."