Brendan Powell could saddle his first runners as a trainer as early as next month, he revealed yesterday. The Irishman will today bring the curtain down on his riding career at Hereford. He is due to move to his new yard later this month with his first runners expected in July.

"I didn't want to pack in riding," Powell said with a slight tone of regret, "but you get to a certain age and there is another career ahead of me."

Powell will ride Sunburnt in a novice chase and Primitive Star in a handicap chase for Bob Buckler today, plus Coolree Lord for Peter Beaumont in a selling handicap chase.

Both Buckler and Beaumont have supported regularly Powell over the years, however, his best chance of going out on a winner could lie with the Charlie Mann-trained Radar in the concluding novice hurdle.