Valentine Lamb, editor of The Irish Field from 1970 to 2003, died on Friday morning, aged 76. His health had been deteriorating and he spent his last months in St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.

He grew up in Salisbury. His father Henry was an artist and his mother was the daughter of the Earl of Longford. He joined the Financial Times in 1961 and four years later moved to Dublin to be the finance editor of The Irish Times. When he became editor of The Irish Field it was an exciting time for Irish racing. It was the year of Nijinsky’s Triple Crown and worldwide interest in Irish bloodstock was growing. Under his stewardship the paper expanded its coverage and sales grew to record levels.

Lamb was an outspoken commentator on all the major stories affecting the industry and regularly had the inside track on racing politics.

He retired in September 2003, shortly before his 65th birthday, when The Irish Field was sold by The Irish Times to its current owners, the Agricultural Trust. He continued to write on racing matters in James Underwood’s weekly European Racing and Breeding Digest until recently.

Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Marie [née Widger], daughters Celia, Stephanie and Fiona, and his many friends in Irish racing and breeding.

Cremation will take place at 2pm in Mount Jerome Victorian Chapel in Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W, on Monday. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund. A full appreciation will appear in The Irish Field next week.