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Baracouda's jockey Thierry Doumen has retired from riding to concentrate on his training career after undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

Doumen, son of the highly successful trainer Francois Doumen, enjoyed a number of big-race victories in Britain and Ireland.

Most notably, Baracouda was the back-to-back winner of the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival among 12 victories in Britain, and First Gold won a King George VI Chase, two Martell Cups and a Heineken Gold Cup.

But Doumen had a mixed relationship with the British racing public, who turned a critical eye on the extreme confidence he sometimes showed, particularly when riding Baracouda.

One notable occasion was in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December 2002, when the horse just failed to claw back the huge lead Tony McCoy had been allowed on Deano's Beeno.

That was, however, one of only two defeats for the great horse on his frequent visits, and Doumen and his mount were given as warm a reception as any home-trained winner as the horse's popularity increased.

Doumen said: "I had quite a serious operation on my shoulder last week and they have put quite a few pieces of metal in it. The surgeon told me that it would not be good if I fell on my shoulder, so now seems a good time to quit.

" One day or another you have to make a decision, and it's not easy for the owners to watch you putting yourself at risk in the afternoon. I have a string of 25 horses and I have been very lucky to have the support of Mr McManus.

" I will especially miss riding Baracouda, but you can't do everything, and now seems the right time to stop."