Grand National-winning trainer Denys Smith has died, aged 92. The County Durham handler enjoyed his finest hour at Aintree in 1968 when Red Alligator claimed National glory under Brian Fletcher.Smith could even have claimed the big race 12 months earlier, but the same horse finished a distant third after he became embroiled in the notorious 23rd-fence pile-up that led to Foinavon causing a 100-1 upset. A former taxi driver, the self-taught Smith was seen as one of the pioneering trainers of his generation and also won two Group One races on the Flat.Smith was crowned champion jumps trainer in the 1967-68 campaign but he was prolific on the Flat, too, having won races like the Lincoln (Foggy Bell), the Middle Park (Tudenham) and the Flying Childers (Mandrake Major).He was also a Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer and landed a division of the Gloucestershire Hurdle (now the Supreme Novices Hurdle) in 1968.Owens Mark provided Smith with a first victory under Rules at Sedgefield in February 1958, while Monksford gave him his last winner at Hamilton in 2002.He saddled over 1,600 winners from his Bishop Auckland yard in a career that spanned nearly 50 years.Former jockey Chris Grant left school as a 15-year-old to work for Smith, in a union which lasted 15 years, and said he owed everything in racing to his former boss.Grant, who is now a trainer in Cleveland, said I nearly got out of the game because I was a bit heavy, but Denys got me going again.He won a National, won a Lincoln, and won so many other good races during such a long career.Flat or jumps, it didnt matter to Denys. He was really ahead of his time in that respect.We travelled a lot of miles together. He used to drive me to the races and I used to drive him back.We got on very well and won some nice races, including the Triumph Hurdle Trial (Cheltenham) with The Grey Bomber and the Greenall (Haydock) with Midnight Love.Denys was in a care home until recently, but his mind was still as sharp as a razor.I wouldnt be where I was now if it wasnt for Denys Smith. Also See: Live results service Full racecards Get Sky Sports ￡10 completely free bet! Marcos Alonso Chelsea Jersey . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Pedro Chelsea Jersey . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Mateo-Kovacic-Jersey/ . Hey!" The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular part of South Africa Road London, W12. Olivier Giroud Chelsea Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Danny Drinkwater Chelsea Jersey .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. CLEVELAND -- In a stunning move, the Chicago Cubs put slugging outfielder/catcher Kyle Schwarber on their 25-man roster for the World Series and inserted him into the lineup for Game 1.The 23-year-old Schwarber returns to the team a little more than six months after having surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee. Doctors cleared him?Oct. 17 to hit and run, but he wont play the field.The AL champion Cleveland Indians will host Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night. Schwarber will be the Cubs designated hitter Tuesday and maybe for all the games played in Cleveland, and hell be used as a pinch hitter when the series shifts to Wrigley Field.Schwarber takes the roster spot of lefty reliever Rob Zastryzny, who was needed in the NLCS because of a heavy left-handed-hitting Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.dddddddddddd The Cubs will employ 11 pitchers and 14 position players for the World Series, the same numbers they used in the NLDS. There were no other changes to their roster from the previous round.Schwarber is the franchises postseason home run leader after hitting five in 2015. He made his first career start against the Indians in June 2015, going 4-for-5 at Progressive Field. Hes also an Ohio native. ' ' '