Martin Pipe yesterday joined a growing list of leading figures within the racing industry to pay tribute to old rival David Nicholson following the sad death of the former champion trainer at the age of 67.

Pipe won the British National Hunt trainers' championship no fewer than 15 times between the 1988/9 and 2004/5 seasons - a period in which his domination was only interrupted when Nicholson stole the crown in the 1993/4 and 1994/5 campaigns.

Pipe fondly recalls his past experiences with "The Duke" and knows he will be sorely missed. "It came as a great shock to hear of the passing of such a great trainer," he said. "We had some great battles for the championship. He was always very competitive and he was always a great supporter of Cheltenham - we used to see him there at the meetings since he retired and we used to have a chat.

"He trained some brilliant horses and some great jockeys went through his hands as well. He'll be sadly missed and our thoughts go out to his wife Dinah and to his family - it's a big blow."

Since retiring in 1999, Nicholson had maintained an active interest in racing and was appointed British Horseracing Board bloodstock representative in March 2002. Nicholson was charged with promoting British-bred horses in an attempt to maximise the sale and awareness of British bloodstock on a global scale and he made a vital contribution in this role.

Nicholson's nephew, Newmarket trainer James Fanshawe, said: "He had been having problems with his chest and died on the way back from hospital. He had a real passion for racing and was very good to a lot of people, including me."