Top horse racing trainer Ian Balding will call time on his career at the end of the year.

Balding, who has trained horses owned by The Queen, will hand over the reins at Park House, Kingsclere to his son Andrew.

He said: "Andrew and I have been sharing the horses and he's just done extremely well and it's high time he took over."

Balding, who is the father of BBC presenter Clare, has held a trainer's licence since June 1964.

He is best known as the trainer of the brilliant Mill Reef, winner of the Derby, Eclipse Stakes, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Prix de l'Arc Triomphe in 1971 for the late Paul Mellon.

He said: "It's been wonderful to train a few good horses for lots of wonderful owners.

"I suppose Mill Reef's Arc de Triomphe probably was the high point and more recently emotionally Lochsong's second Prix de l'Abbaye."