George Hanlon in hospital

Racing legend George Hanlon is reported to be comfortable and in high spirits in a Geelong hospital.

The master trainer, who turned 91 last month, fell ill recently while on holiday on the Queensland Gold Coast.

He was subsequently taken to Victoria to be cared for closer to home.

Hanlon began training in 1946 and has collected trophies from most of the country's major events including three Melbourne Cups.

His Cup winners have been Piping Lane (1972), Arwon (1978) and Black Knight in 1984 while more recently he claimed the Caulfield Cup in 2000 with Diatribe and the 2001 Sydney Cup with Mr. Prudent who also ran second in the 2002 Melbourne Cup.

When Melbourne's Epsom training centre was closed down in the 1980s, Hanlon move his operation to the country surrounds of Leopold near Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula.

Hanlon was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2002.