news Former Scottish National winner Takingrisks heads Ayr parade of retrained racehorses

• RoR Parade returns to the Coral Scottish Grand National Festival

• Eight-horse line-up highlights the life after racing options for former racehorses

Among a host of events and attractions for racegoers at this year’s Coral Scottish Grand National Festival at Ayr is the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Parade that takes place on Saturday 2^nd April before racing at 12.15pm in the parade ring.

The parade showcases the range of activities racehorses can adapt to in their second careers after retiring from racing and this year’s eight-horse line-up features several horses familiar to Ayr racegoers, including the 2019 winner of the Coral Scottish Grand National, Takingrisks.

Trained by Nicky Richards, Takingrisks enjoyed a six-year-long racing career before retiring in 2021. He has since remained a resident at Nicky Richards’ Greystoke yard in Cumbria where one of his roles is to help educate the young horses.

Other former Ayr winners on show include Braes Of Lochlash, who was bred and trained by Jim Goldie and remarkably ran 26 times at Ayr, and Another Bill, another former Nicky Richards in-mate, who won twice at Ayr in the familiar red colours of David and Nicky Robinson.

In their second careers the eight horses are doing a myriad of different activities, including dressage, showing, show jumping and eventing, with some also enjoying days out hunting and hacking. At 18-years-old, Quito Du Tresor is the oldest horse in the parade but he shows no signs of slowing down and remains as busy and active as ever.

Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive of Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), said: “Our thanks to Ayr Racecourse for giving us the opportunity to show the public how fabulous these horses look ‘in retirement’ and what they are doing in their second careers.”

The full parade line up is as follows:

1. ANOTHER BILL – ridden by Sarah McGhee
12-year-old by Beneficial, formerly trained by Nicky Richards

2. BRAES OF LOCHALSH - ridden by Kayleigh Williams
11-year-old by Tiger Hill, formerly trained by Jim Goldie

3. LAS TUNAS – ridden by Barbara Spittal
10-year-old by Country Reel, formerly trained by R Mike Smith

4. MAKE IT HAPPEN – ridden by Susie Taylor
13-year-old by Saffron Walden, formerly trained by Lucinda Russell

5. NEW YOUMZAIN – ridden by Natalie Donaghy
13-year-old gelding by Sinndarr, formerly trained by Lucy Normile

6. QUITO DU TRESOR – ridden by Fiona Muirhead
18-year-old gelding by Jeune Homme, formerly trained by Lucinda Russell

7. TAKINGRISKS - ridden by Amy Corrado
13-year-old gelding by Golden Tornado, formerly trained by Nicky Richards

8. VERTIGO – ridden by Sharon Steele
14-year-old gelding by Jeremy, formerly trained by Lucinda Russell