EDDIE Hales says he has no regrets from his time training horses as he prepares to leave the profession and work in the restaurant business.

Highly regarded as a producer of young National Hunt horses in point-to-points and bumpers before selling them privately, Hales famously handled future Gold Cup winner Don Cossack at his Dundrum, Co Tipperary yard before he was acquired by Gigginstown House Stud and moved to Gordon Elliott’s stables.

After a couple of quiet seasons, Hales has decided to move out of the horse industry and has accepted a position at John Magnier’s Clonmel restaurant Mikey Ryan’s.

“I’m very keen not to sound all doom-and-gloom about racehorse training,” he told The Irish Field yesterday. “I had a great time and wouldn’t put anyone off. I simply fancied a change, maybe it was turning 50 recently.”

Hales has operated at the very top of National Hunt racing. He held a senior role at Kim Bailey’s yard when Alderbrook and Master Oats were winning Champion Hurdles and Gold Cups in the 1990s.

Adrian Maguire has also decided not to renew his trainer’s licence. A prolific jump jockey, Maguire established his yard near Mallow in Co Cork and trained almost 100 winners on the track. He also saddled numerous point-to-point winners, including future Gold Cup hero Denman. His riding talents are now being utilised at Ballydoyle.

Trainer numbers continue to fall and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Body recently cancelled a course aimed at potential new trainers due to lack of interest. The Irish Racehorse Trainers Association is calling on the authority to grant licences to applicants who are clearly well-qualified but have been denied the chance to sit the course.

Michael Grassick of the IRTA said: “Under the old system people such as former jockeys or senior stable staff could get a licence if they had letters of recommendation and at least six horses in their care. This approach should be reconsidered as we might never get 10 or 12 applicants at any one time again.”

Grassick said he was not surprised that the training ranks have been further depleted after a very harsh winter which reduced racing and trading opportunities. He said that the IRTA had discussions last week with HRI, the IHRB and the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners on introducing a system whereby training fees could transfer directly from the owners’ HRI account to the trainer.

“Too often the trainer is the one at the end of the line to be paid. It can be a struggle to find money every Friday to pay staff. The majority of owners pay their bills promptly, but an automated system would be a huge help to some trainers.”