Calcutta: Earnest Alford, a former jockey, passed away, in Bangalore, on Tuesday morning, informed Richard Alford, his brother and a trainer. “Ernie fought a long battle with throat cancer and his end came this morning at 6.30am. He was 64 year old,” Richard said over the phone.

Ernest was a product of the Calcutta apprentice school. He had a long association with the Goculdas family, the horse owners.