Multiple Classic-winning trainer Clive Brittain has announced his intention to retire at the end of the season.

The veteran Newmarket handler has enjoyed a stellar career, winning every British Classic at least once apart from the Epsom Derby, although he famously sent out Terimon to finish second at 500-1 to Nashwan in 1989.

Asked why he felt now was the right time to call it a day, Brittain, 81, told Press Association Sport: " Old age would probably be a hint, but I want to spend a few years looking after my wife. She's spent 60-odd years looking after me, so I think it's only fair I spend some time looking after her."

He added: "Where there's a beginning there's an end and I just felt the end was nigh. This is the right time to do it.

"I'm retiring with some regret, as I've had some fantastic owners over the years and still have, as well as great staff. I've lived a charmed life."

Brittain enjoyed his first taste of Classic glory with Julio Mariner in the 1978 St Leger, a race he later won with User Friendly, who also completed the English-Irish Oaks double during a glorious campaign in 1992.

He saddled two winners of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in Pebbles (1984) and Sayyedati (1993).

Pebbles was perhaps Brittain's greatest ever horse, also winning the Champion Stakes, the Eclipse and the 1985 Breeders' Cup Turf.

Brittain won the 2000 Guineas with Mystiko in 1991 and Terimon enjoyed his day in the sun when claiming the Juddmonte International that year.

He broke new ground for British trainers when Jupiter Island and Pat Eddery lifted the Japan Cup in 1986.

Honourable mentions also go to dual Coronation Cup winner Warrsan, the globetrotting Luso, multiple Group One-winning filly Crimplene and his latest top-level scorer Rizeena.

A Group One winner in the Moyglare Stud Stakes as a juvenile, she won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer but having failed to reach those heights this season, Brittain has also called time on her career.

He said: "Rizeena won't run again. The decision was left to me and we just felt she hadn't quite reached the heights of last year.

"She's done so much for us in the last couple of years and we decided we wanted her to go out at the top."

Asked what he felt was his greatest achievement, Brittain said: "I think in all my years from being an apprentice jockey, to being a stable lad and then a trainer, I've never had a day unemployed, which I would say is probably quite a feat in itself and I don't think you can ask for more than that.

"I've had a fantastic career with some fantastic horses. The likes of Pebbles and Sayyedati and Rizeena most recently. We've done things we wouldn't even have dreamed about doing at the start, so I have been very lucky.

"Pebbles winning the Breeders' Cup was really out of this world, along with Jupiter Island winning the Japan Cup."

Philip Robinson enjoyed a long association with Brittain, partnering Pebbles to her Guineas triumph and winning multiple races aboard Crimplene and Warrsan. The former jockey is considering starting off his own training career, potentially out of Brittain's yard.

He said: "It's to Clive's credit that he has managed to go on as long as he has. To be able to train into your 80s is phenomenal as it's not easy work.

"Clive was a pioneer. He opened doors to the rest of the world and excelled in the early days sending horses abroad when others weren't even thinking about it.

"I rode a lot of great horses for him and had a lot of great days, but as well as being my boss from years ago, he's also become a great friend.

"He wasn't frightened to run horses at massive prices in the big races. That also became his trademark and a lot of them performed very well.

"I remember with Crimplene as a two-year-old, I thought we'd struggle to win a Listed race with her, but she ended up winning Group Ones. Clive had a particularly special touch with fillies."

Asked about the possibility of taking over from Brittain, Robinson said: "I don't think anybody will take over from Clive, but I am thinking about starting off training myself.

"I've been helping Clive in the last year, I've also been involved in some property development and done a bit of jockey coaching. If things went right, I would love the chance to train out of Clive's yard if we could come to some sort of arrangement, but let's wait and see.

"I'm just discussing things at the moment and will probably make a decision in the next week to two weeks as if I am going to do it, I'm going to have start buying some horses."

Walter Swinburn won three Group Ones aboard Sayyedati, and said: "Clive was always a pleasure to ride for and would regularly win big races with horses priced 33-1 and 50-1. He had a fantastic ability to find improvement in horses.

"I always remember how he had his horses out on the gallops very early and then afterwards, when most people would be at home having a nap, he'd be out having a walk with his stick and his Labrador. He really was relentless and goodness knows where he got his energy from.

"We won't see the likes of him again and I'm delighted for him. He's had a fantastic career."

James Doyle enjoyed a fine association with Rizeena, with her Queen Mary win at the Royal meeting in 2013 forming part of a memorable treble on the day for the rider.

Paying tribute to Brittain, he said: "He was one of the first men to tackle the world with runners abroad. When you go through his record it is breathtaking, really.

"I was lucky enough to ride for him, albeit not that much, but I was lucky enough to link up with him with Rizeena.

"We had some good success with her. He was definitely one of those trainers that when you started out you wanted to be riding for. It was a pleasure to ride for him.

"I suppose Royal Ascot is the one that stands out. It was pretty amazing as it was the third leg of my treble. That was a good performance and that is the one that stands out for me on a personal level.

"His record over the years shows he wasn't afraid to throw one in at the deep end. He would often win massive races with horses that people kind of thought didn't have a chance and, like I say, you go back and his overseas record is pretty remarkable."

Fellow trainer David Elsworth saluted a "wonderful trainer".

He said: "I must be the oldest trainer now he is retiring, but it is sad to see him retire. Clive had such enthusiasm and was one of the old school.

"He worked his way through ranks, having started as a private and ended up being more than a sergeant major. He was a wonderful trainer and an optimist. Winning to him was everything, as it was to most of us. I only saw him Sunday morning exercising his dog at 7am and he never mentioned it.

"His best was Pebbles, I guess. Everybody said he was tilting at windmills, but he loves his horses and he believed in them.

"He was second with Terimon in the Derby then he went on and won his Group One and Clive was never frightened or daunted by the opposition. Maybe we have the same outlook and I am very proud to be compared with him." 

BHB