MILTON Bradley showed that age is just a number with the 82-year-old enjoying a terrific treble at Lingfield on Tuesday. Keith Hamer selects five other octogenarians who are still going strong at the helm of a racing stable.

MICK EASTERBY (86)

For more than half a century, Mick Easterby has been rolling out the winners from his Sheriff Hutton base in North Yorkshire. His sole classic success came in the 1977 1000 Guineas with Mrs McArdy, but he has had a string of big-race triumphs, including with 1976 champion sprinter Lochnager and 1986 Gimcrack winner Wiganthorpe. More recently, horses like 2011 Stewards' Cup winner Hoof It and 2017 Windsor listed victor Perfect Pasture have kept him at the forefront of the training ranks. Over jumps, he has had such top performers as 1985 Grand National runner-up Mr Snugfit and 1976 Triumph Hurdle scorer Peterhof.

KEVIN PRENDERGAST (85)

After working as assistant trainer to his father Paddy, he took out his own licence to train in 1963. His first of eight classic victories came on home soil with Pidget in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 1972. Northern Treasure gave Prendergast his first Irish 2,000 Guineas in 1976 and Awtaad gave him a second 40 years later. At Dundalk in September 2010, he reached the milestone of saddling his 2,000th career winner with Tell The Wind. His one British Classic came with Nebbiolo in the 2000 Guineas in 1977, while dual Irish Leger hero Oscar Schindler was another of his top-drawer performers.

NEVILLE BYCROFT (84)

Bycroft first started training in 1980 and has been a standard bearer of the Yorkshire racing scene ever since. Some of the best horses he has trained include Gala Lad, Silly Boy and Gunner Mac. He won the Redcar Two-Year-old Trophy in 2006 with Danum Dancer, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa. He bred Dara Monarch, winner of the 1982 Irish 2000 Guineas, and the sire of 1988 Lockinge Stakes winner Broken Hearted.

WAYNE LUKAS (82)

A legend of US racing, Lukas had his first of 14 American Triple Crown race winners when Codex took the 1980 Preakness Stakes. He has saddled four Kentucky Derby winners, four in the Belmont and a total of six in the Preakness. His Breeders' Cup tally is higher with 20. He began training quarter horses in California in 1968 and after 10 years at the top, he switched to training thoroughbreds. The first trainer to earn more than $100 million in purse money, he has been the year's top-money winner 14 times and was inducted into the hall of fame in 1999.

JOHN KIELY (80)

Dubbed the quiet man of Irish jumps racing, one of the first big winners for the Dungarvan handler was King Of The Gales, winner of the Troytown at Navan in 1993 and the staying handicap chase at Leopardstown that Christmas. Black Queen gave him the first two of Galway Hurdles in 1998 before Liss A Paoraigh raised his profile with a string of victories, including the Royal Bond, Lismullen and Christmas Festival Hurdles at the turn of the century. More recently, Carlingford Lough has been his stable star. In 2016, the JP McManus-owned chaser won the Irish Gold Cup and Punchestown Gold Cup.