Grand National winner Sherwood to end training role

Sherwood, who has trained more than 1,300 winners, will send out his last runners later this year

Grand National-winning trainer Oliver Sherwood will step down from his role after 40 years.

The 68-year-old is to become assistant to fledgling trainer Harry Derham.

Sherwood, who is free of cancer after six bouts of chemotherapy, said the death of friend Richard Aston was a factor in deciding to stop training.

"It's something which has been bothering me for the last four or five months, knowing I didn't have the horses," Sherwood said.

"Obviously with my illness and with Richard Aston passing, that rather frightened me. Not my illness, because I never thought I was going to go. But Richard's did and you've got to be realistic."

Sherwood saddled Many Clouds to win the Hennessy Gold Cup and two runnings of Cheltenham's Cotswold Chase, after the second of which the horse collapsed and died.

Sherwood's other leading horses during his career included Arctic Call, Large Action and The West Awake.