'I do miss the training myself' - Brendan Powell relishing new role as returning Henrietta Knight's assistant

Former trainer Brendan Powell has expressed his excitement about linking up with Henrietta Knight in her second career with a licence.

Widespread shock greeted the news that Knight, who saddled Best Mate to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups, is to return to training after an 11-year hiatus, but Powell is relishing the chance to assist the 76-year-old in her new venture.

"With Henrietta, nothing surprises me," he said. "She mentioned it to me last week and it seems quite exciting, all we need to do now is get some horses and we'll be all right. It's a new challenge and I'm looking forward to it."

Powell, who won the Grand National as a jockey, sent out more than 600 winners as a dual-purpose trainer in Winchester and Lambourn before handing in his licence in 2019, citing financial reasons.

He moved to Ireland for a four-year stint as assistant to Joseph O'Brien, during which time the stable won a Melbourne Cup and a host of other major races at home and abroad, before returning to Britain this year to work for Rebecca Menzies.

"I rode for Henrietta for a bit and was very good friends with her and Terry [Biddlecombe] for years and I've always kept in touch with her, even when I was in Ireland," said Powell.

"She said she'd only do it if she could get someone like me to help, and it's nice of her to think of me. We've trained well over 1,000 winners between us and I do miss the training myself. I wish I could afford to do it but I couldn't, and this will be close enough."

Henrietta Knight: planning to return to training after an 11-year hiatusCredit: Edward Whitaker

Knight has stayed involved in racing since quitting training in 2012, including running a successful pre-training business from her West Lockinge base near Wantage in Oxfordshire, where Powell's son Brendan is among the jockeys to help out with schooling.

Powell, 63, believes the transition to training will be smooth, with the hope of the stable starting out around the turn of the year.

"Henrietta is always busy anyway, she's got 35 to 40 horses there the whole time, schooling for people and getting them ready," he said.

"It'll be as busy as it is now but hopefully it will be training horses rather than getting them ready to go to other yards.

"I know she doesn't want to train any more than 30 to 35 horses, but that's a nice number and we'll give it a go and see what happens.

"Hopefully, she'll have her licence by Christmas and if we can start off and have a few winners, you just don't know what it will bring."

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