news Trip To Paris and Stand Guard among the former racehorses parading at Newmarket on Saturday

• Several former Newmarket trained horses will showcase the racehorse’s life after racing at Dubai Future Champions Festival
• Including success stories from Godolphin’s Lifetime Care programme

The second day of the Dubai Future Champions Festival on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile on Saturday 13^th October sees the return of the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Parade before racing. The ten-horse line-up includes the Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris and the record breaking Stand Guard, along with a host of graduates from Godolphin’s Thoroughbred Rehoming Scheme. The parade showcases the versatility of racehorses and their ability to develop second careers in a range of equine disciplines.

Nine of the ten horses parading were trained in Newmarket during their racing career and many are still based in the area, including the 2015 Ascot Gold Cup winner, Trip To Paris. The former Ed Dunlop trained gelding is now at the National Stud and is showing an aptitude for dressage. The aim is to qualify Trip To Paris for a trip to Aintree and the RoR Dressage Championships in August next year.

The remarkable Stand Guard was retired from racing earlier this year at the age of 14 and with 28 victories he holds the record for the most number of wins by a horse on UK all-weather tracks. Previously trained in Newmarket by John Butler, Stand Guard is still based locally in the care of former jockey, Alice Haynes. He has been doing some showing classes and is set to enjoy some days out hunting this winter.

The parade features four horses that were found new homes and careers via the Godolphin Lifetime Care programme. Two notable success stories of the scheme are a couple of horses previously trained by the late Michael Jarvis. Both Harland and Hero Worship were talented but lightly raced horses that have gone on to enjoy significant success in their second careers in dressage and showing respectively and both are still thriving as teenagers.

Hero Worship, now aged 15, recently capped his most successful year to date with a third place finish in the Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). His owner and rider Abi Drury says of him: “He decided that this year especially he'll show everyone what a veteran can do and he is like a fine wine!

“I can't believe the success we have had, he's a horse of a lifetime and I'm very grateful to Godolphin and RoR for enabling these horses to shine in alternative careers.”

Racegoers watching the parade will also have the chance to see the winner of the Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), in the form of 6-year-old gelding, Gateshead. Bred by Juddmonte Farms, Gateshead ran just once but since retiring from racing he has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks and looks set for a long and fruitful career in the show ring.

Also appearing in the parade are a couple of Godolphin owned favourites in Dubai Gold Cup winners African Story and Prince Bishop. The pair remain based at Godolphin Pre-Training where they help educate the operation’s young horses.

Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive of RoR, said: “The parade features a very strong line-up of talented horses, many of which achieved notable success on the track but all of which are now enjoying a successful second career.

“Several of the horses were found new careers with the help of Godolphin’s Thoroughbred Rehoming Scheme before going on to compete in classes and competitions staged by RoR, thereby highlighting the success of both operations.

“We would like to thank Dubai and Newmarket for the opportunity to parade these horses and the Peter O’Sullevan Trust for their continued sponsorship of the parades in 2018.”

The parade will take place at 1pm in the main parade ring at Newmarket Racecourse.

The full line-up of the parade is as follows:

1. Darley Sun (Showjumping) - Ridden by Natasha Crawford

12-year–old by Tiger Hill, formerly trained by David Simcock

Darley Sun won the 2009 running of the Cesarewitch, the last horse to win the race as a 3-year-old. He subsequently raced for Godolphin and then won over hurdles for John Ferguson. Via the Godolphin Thoroughbred Rehoming Scheme, Darley Sun started his second career with Natasha Crawford in 2014. She has since taken her time retraining him for showjumping. Following a few hiccups along the way, Natasha is aiming to campaign him through the grades of British Showjumping and says “he is very enthusiastic and loving his new job”.

2. Gateshead (Showing) – Ridden by Oliver Hood

6-year-old by First Defence, formerly trained by Bryan Smart

Bred in the USA by Juddmonte Farms, Gateshead never raced for his breeder, Prince Khalid Abdullah. Bought unraced at the sales by trainer Bryan Smart, he had one start as a 4-year-old before embarking on a second career in the care of leading show producers Alistair and Oliver Hood. In the show ring he has risen rapidly through the ranks culminating in victory in the Racehorse to Riding Horse Championship final at Horse of the Year (HOYS) last month and he looks set for a long and fruitful career showing.

3. Harland (Eventing) – Ridden by Steph Cason

14-year-old by Halling, formerly trained by Michael Jarvis

Harland’s promising career was cut short by injury, but his three wins from five starts included victory in a Gr.2 in France. Steph Cason worked at Darley at the time of Harland’s retirement and was delighted to get the chance to retrain him. The pair have focussed on an eventing career and successfully competed to BE Intermediate and 1 star level. He has also competed to Medium level with British Dressage and has multiple wins in RoR dressage with his most recent being last month at the BD Nettex RoR Championships.

4. Hero Worship (Showing) – Ridden by Abi Drury

15-year-old by Kalanisi, formerly trained by Michael Jarvis

Very lightly raced, Hero Worship ran just three times, winning twice, before injury curtailed his career and it has been in the show ring that he has made his mark. Another graduate of the Godolphin Thoroughbred Rehoming Scheme, Hero Worship has been with Abi Drury for ten years, qualifying for the RoR Tattersalls Final at Hickstead six years in a row. This year has been their most successful yet, winning several classes and claiming Champion and Reserve Champion accolades. Most recently, the pair were third at Horse of the Year (HOYS).

5. Skysurfers (Eventing) – Ridden by Claire Anderson

12-year-old by E Dubai, formerly trained by Saeed bin Suroor

A Gr.2 winner in Dubai, all four of Skysurfers’ wins came on artificial surfaces, he was also placed in Listed company in the UK. Retired from racing in 2011 he went through the Godolphin Thoroughbred Rehoming Scheme and has since been retrained for a second career in eventing and dressage. Claire Anderson says: “He has the most amazing work ethic and I have no doubt he will do well with a bit more experience, he continues his winning streak off the track, often bringing home first rosettes.”

6. Stand Guard (Showing) – Ridden by Brydi Allison

14-year-old by Danehill, formerly trained by John Butler

The winner of 28 of 84 starts, Stand Guard holds the record for the most wins by any horse on the all-weather. He enjoyed a particular purple patch of form between December 2012 and the following April during which he won nine races. Since his retirement in January at the age of 14, ‘Stan’ has been in the care of Alice Haynes and has taken part in a number of RoR Show classes. Having spent the summer out he is now back in, preparing for a season’s hunting.

7. Trip To Paris (Dressage) – Ridden by Anna Metekohy

7-year-old by Champs Elysees, formerly trained by Ed Dunlop

Trip To Paris earned over £800,000 during his racing career, the highlight of which was victory in 2015 Ascot Gold Cup. He retired from racing in 2017 and is based at the National Stud. He initially focussed on showing, competing in a couple of in-hand shows and winning on his first outing, but following a slight injury he is now being campaigned in dressage, which he is excelling at as he carries himself beautifully with a “commanding presence”. The aim is to qualify him for the RoR Dressage Championships at Aintree next year.

Horses based at Godolphin Pre-Training

8. African Story (Godolphin Pre-Training) – Ridden by Sarah Clarkson

11-year-old by Pivotal, formerly trained by Saeed bin Suroor

African Story won six races while in training with Saeed bin Suroor including the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup in 2014. He retired to Godolphin Pre-Training in 2015. His primary role is to lead and educate the younger horses during the initial stages of their racing careers. He also participates in a number of parades including the ‘Au-Dela des Pistes’ Group 1 Champions Parade at Deauville Racecourse, where he appeared along with Prince Bishop.

9. Latharnach (Dressage and showjumping) – Ridden by Alice Edgar

6-year-old by Iffraaj, formerly trained by Charlie Appleby

Latharnach won three races for Charlie Appleby and has been at Godolphin Pre-Training since 2017. Latharnach has not only proven this value as a lead horse for the yearlings but he has also been successful in dressage and show jumping with his rider Lilli Hines. In addition, the pair have participated in a range of events for charity including the 15-mile Newmarket Sponsored Ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. As Rehoming Ambassadors Latharnach and Lilli continue to highlight the versatility of racehorses and the vital work undertaken by the Godolphin Thoroughbred Rehoming Scheme.

10. Prince Bishop (Godolphin Pre-Training) – Lilli Hines

11-year-old by Dubawi, formerly trained by Saeed bin Suroor

Prince Bishop’s racing career spanned six years during which time he won 11 races and over £4 million in prize money, most notably and memorably the 2015 Dubai World Cup. This year marks a new exciting partnership for Prince Bishop and Lilli Hines. The pair instantly bonded due to their larger than life personalities, which was apparent when they starred alongside African Story in the ‘Au-Dela des Pistes’ Group 1 Champions Parade at Deauville Racecourse. Lilli has also been teaching Prince Bishop the basics in dressage and hopes to attend a range of training clinics and competitions next year.