Reg Akehurst, one of Britain's most successful dual-purpose trainers since the war, yesterday announced he is to retire next month. The 68-yearold, who has landed numerous coups in handicaps from his base in Epsom since he took out a licence in 1962, is to call it a day on November 30th. His son Jonathan, currently training in Lambourn, will take over at the helm.

"I will be retiring at the end of November - I won't be renewing my licence next year," Akehurst senior said. "I have been thinking about it for some time.

"Racing has been very good to me. There have been plenty of highlights and it is difficult to pick out one but I got a lot of pleasure from little Gold Rod who won three Group races in France," he added.

Akehurst briefly gave up training once before, in the early-1980s, as his fortunes took a turn for the worse after Gold Rod's notable victories in the Greenham Stakes and Prix Moulin in 1970.

He bounced back to form with vengeance after resuming his operation and quickly became a man the bookmakers feared.

He won all the Flat season's most valuable handicaps, from the six-furlong Wokingham with Astrac through the one-mile Royal Hunt Cup with Face North and Red Robbo to the Tote Ebor with stayer Sarawat.

He was christened the "handicap specialist" by many but he said: "They didn't stop to think that all I had was handicappers - you can't win Group races with them."

During his 12 years as a professional National Hunt jockey, Akehurst rode 99 winners.