Racing: Loder gives up training at age of 38

David Loder, Godolphin's specialist trainer of two-year-olds, is to retire at the end of next season at the age of 38. "I don't have the same enthusiasm for training as I did when I started," Loder said yesterday, "and when that happens, the sensible thing is to move on."

Loder has held a training licence for just 10 years and had established a reputation as an excellent trainer of juveniles when he was snapped up by Godolphin four years ago to train their two-year-olds before they were passed on to other trainers for their Classic season. Based initially at Evry in France and then in Dubai and Newmarket, the ground-breaking venture has not been as successful as had been predicted, with Godolphin still forced into the marketplace to buy two-year-olds from other yards.

Sheikh Mohammed, the driving force behind Godolphin, will decide next year whether to name a successor or to spread the juveniles among his other trainers.

Godolphin's retained jockey, Frankie Dettori, said: "I'm really shocked. David is a great trainer. The racing game is not going to be the same for me after next season. The training profession is losing a real star."