news Retrained Racehorse Royalty on show at Aintree

• The presence of showing champion Barbers Shop in parade line-up is a reminder of his late breeder, the Queen Mother
• Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Parade to take place on first day of the Randox Grand National Festival

The opening day of the Randox Grand National Festival sees the return of the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) parade and leading a line-up that features past Aintree Grade 1 winners and Grand National runners is a horse with a poignant Royal connection.

It is twenty years since the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother on 30^th March 2002. Three weeks before she died, the last racehorse to be bred by the Queen Mother was born. Subsequently named Barbers Shop, he was trained by Nicky Henderson and ran with distinction in the colours of Her Majesty, The Queen, winning eight races and being placed in the 2009 King George VI Chase and at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival.

However, Barbers Shop arguably enjoyed an even more successful second career. Since his retirement from racing in 2012, he has been with Katie Jerram-Hunnable and under her care he became one of the leading former racehorses to compete in the show ring.

His many successes included championship classes at Hickstead and at Aintree at the inaugural RoR National Championships in 2015. His crowning achievement was a hat-trick of wins at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, each recorded in front of his owner, the Queen.

At twenty years of age, Barbers Shop is now retired from competitive showing, but his looks belie his age and he remains a wonderful ambassador for Retraining of Racehorses (RoR). On Thursday at 12.15pm he will lead an eight-horse line-up in the parade ring at Aintree showcasing the versatility of the thoroughbred together with the range of activities open to racehorses when they finish their racing careers.

Also featuring in the parade is the former Grade 1 winner at the Grand National Festival, Guitar Pete, alongside Grand National third, Monbeg Dude, and Aintree favourite Highland Lodge, who’s victories include the 2015 Becher Chase over the Grand National fences.

The full line-up is as follows:

1. BARBERS SHOP – ridden by Katie Jerram-Hunnable
20-year-old by Saddlers’ Hall, formerly trained by Nicky Henderson

2. BEAR’S AFFAIR - ridden by Samara Swan
16-year-old by Presenting, formerly trained by Philip Rowley and Nicky Henderson.

3. GUITAR PETE – ridden by Laurence Kirkby
12-year-old by Dark Angel, formerly trained by Nicky Richards

4. HIGHLAND LODGE – ridden by Paul Thompson
16-year-old by Flemensfirth, formerly trained by Jimmy Moffott

5. MIKO DE BEAUCHENE - ridden by Tracey Philips
22-year-old by Nashamaa, formerly trained by Venetia Williams

6. MONBEG DUDE – ridden by Jade Steinsdorfer
17-year-old by Witness Box, formerly trained by Michael Scudamore

7. SHANTOU VILLAGE – ridden by Sally Hayward
12-year-old by Shantou, formerly trained by Neil Mulholland

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