IT was very sad to learn last week of the sudden death of Imperial Commander, a horse who first came to the attention of this writer when landing the four-year-old winners of one at the much-missed venue of Rahinstown in April 2005.

Sold to Kevin Ross by Colin McKeever, the Eyssen Ross-trained Flemensfirth gelding put up an impressive performance that day under Jimmy Henry while his owners, Our Friends In The North, showed that they were well able to celebrate success.