Jenny Pitman signed off her career as a trainer with an emotional win at Huntingdon yesterday when Andrew Thornton practically threw Scarlet Emperor over the line to win the Air Foyle Maiden Hurdle by a neck from Prancing Blade.

In the melee which faced Mrs Pitman as she waited to greet her winner the trainer praised Thornton, not for yesterday's performance but for the way he prepared her charge for this two-and-a-half-mile event.

Mrs Pitman (52) is giving up training after a highly-successful 24-year career. She saddled a full house of Grand National winners (Corbiere 1983 and Royal Athlete 1995, Aintree; Corbiere 1982, Burrough Hill Lad 1983 and Stearsby 1986, Welsh; Willsford 1995, Scottish; and Mudahim Irish 1998). And she remains the only woman to train the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, scoring with both Burrough Hill Lad (1984) and Garrison Savannah (1991).