JOHN Ferguson is to cease training from the end of this season to concentrate more on his work for Godolphin. The news was announced by Godolphin this week in a statement which also revealed plans to use the Darley name only for stallion promotion.

The statement read: “The global racing and breeding empires of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum are set to merge into one seamless operation under Godolphin in the New Year. John Ferguson, currently bloodstock advisor to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, has been appointed Chief Executive and Racing Manager to the re-shaped and streamlined Godolphin.”

Darley, under which all Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock holdings formerly operated, is now to be used solely as a brand to promote stallions.

Ferguson, currently fifth on the British jump trainers’ list – has simultaneously announced that he will hand in his licence at the end of April 2016 in order to devote more time to Godolphin.

The best of his horses, who were almost exclusively recruited from Godolphin and Darley and ran over jumps in the ownership of Bloomfields, will now re-join Godolphin at Charlie Appleby’s Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket but only to run on the flat.

Ferguson’s stable staff at Bloomfields will be invited to join Godolphin.

Ferguson said: “It makes sense for the racing and breeding operations to merge. One is sourcing the other, and a well-planned, common strategy can only strengthen both.

“We must ensure that Godolphin continues to represent excellence in racing, and that the brand serves as a constant reminder of the vibrancy and energy of Dubai,” he said.

Speaking on At The Races, Ferguson said: “My new role will basically be pulling together the global arms of Godolphin. I need to focus all my time on Godolphin. I have loved every single minute of training jumpers and without Sheikh Mohammed it would never have happened. He made it possible and we developed a great team at Bloomfields. It was a very hard decision to cease training but the one thing that convinced me that it was the right thing to do is that every single member of staff has been invited to join Godolphin and be part of that success. We are all sad but excited. We have had five brilliant years and hopefully many more with Godolphin on the flat.”

Godolphin has 2,000 horses in training worldwide, 2,500 breeding stock and employs 1,500 staff.

Kildangan Stud in Monasterevin, Co Kildare is Darley’s Irish base. Kildangan’s managing director Joe Osborne, and Godolphin’s representative in Ireland, told The Irish Times: “We will continue to have three trainers in Ireland, Jim Bolger, Michael Halford and Willie McCreery, and we will probably have a bit of an increase in the numbers of horses in training. The streamlining process has been ongoing. The company name here has been changed to Godolphin Ireland in the last few months. So I don’t believe things will change at all.”

The news can be viewed as a blow to Aidan Coleman, who was appointed Ferguson’s retained jockey in July. Coleman has enjoyed the best season of his career since he moved from working for Venetia Williams. “Of course I told Aidan beforehand,” Ferguson added. “Aidan’s profile has risen dramatically this year and it is a testament to his talent that he stands on 99 winners now. He is one of the best jockeys in the country. I wish him all the luck in the future.”