5th October 2015 – Day two of the inaugural Dubai Future Champions Festival on Saturday, 10 October, will feature a Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) Parade, the line-up for which includes two winners of the Dubai World Cup and an Ascot Gold Cup winner.
The winners of the last two running’s of the Dubai World Cup, African Story and Prince Bishop, are among ten horses in the parade that will showcase the adaptability of racehorses in finding alternative activities after retiring from racing. Also included in the parade line-up are former Ascot Gold Cup winner Papineau, Purple Moon, the Melbourne Cup runner-up turned showing champion, and Quadrille, owned by Her Majesty The Queen, now excelling at dressage.
Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive of RoR, said:
“So many of the success stories of former racehorses achieving new heights in different disciplines are horses who only raced on the Flat and so it is fitting that there should be a RoR Parade at Newmarket, the home of Flat racing.
“The line-up of the Newmarket parade highlights one of the great strengths of RoR in that alongside wonderfully talented racehorses such as African Story and Prince Bishop, we have horses of considerably less ability on the racetrack, but who have gone on to find their niche in their second career, whether it be dressage or playing horseball at international level.
“We are particularly grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his support, through Godolphin, in enabling the parade to take place
“Aside from the Dubai World Cup winners, who are currently being retrained, evidence of the success of the Godolphin and Darley Rehoming and Retraining program can be seen in the likes of City Style and Gulf Of Naples, both of whom are thriving in their new activities and giving their owners a great deal of pleasure.”
The parades were introduced in 2008 by RoR, the sport’s official charity for the welfare of retired racehorses, and they are now an established part of the major racing festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree, but this is the first time that Newmarket Racecourses has hosted a RoR parade on the Rowley Mile.
Horses in RoR
AFRICAN STORY (Retraining) – Ridden by Heather Stevens
8-year-old gelding by Pivotal, formerly trained by Saeed Bin Suroor
The winner of £4.8 million in prize money during his 21 race career, the highlight of which was victory in the 2014 Dubai World Cup, African Story was retired from racing earlier this year. Following a spell out at grass at Sheikh Mohammed’s Dalham Hall Stud he has now started his retraining and will be given the opportunity to try a number of disciplines in order to determine which suits him best.
BATTENBERG (Horseball) – Will Johnson
7-year-old mare by Iceman, formerly trained by Amy Weaver
Battenberg ran 4 times on the flat without troubling the judge in a racing career lasting just a year. Following her retirement she went to play polo for one season before going to stud and having a foal. Two months ago she moved to Will Johnson to start a career in horseball and is already showing considerable ability and potential. Will, who has played nationally in the first division league for Nottingham horseball team, is looking forward to competing on her.
INCHLOSS (Horseball) – David Worthington
14-year-old gelding by Imperial Ballet, formerly trained by Stewart Parr
A winner of two races during his four year racing career before retiring in 2007 to start playing Horseball, Inchloss has become an essential part of the Great Britain team. Under David Worthington the pair were the top goal scorer in the World Cup in 2012. Inchloss has also turned his hoof to a bit of dressage during this time but is now back concentrating on his Horseball duties.
CITY STYLE (Eventing) – Hannah Pollard
9-year-old gelding by City Zip, formerly trained by Charlie Appleby
City Style ran 26 times, winning eight races and over £800,000 in prize money. Successful in the USA and Dubai, in his last race he won a Group 3 at York. Following his retirement in 2013 he went to Godolphin’s retraining operation at Badlingham before Hannah Pollard took him on in August 2014. He has been doing unaffiliated dressage and showjumping since and recently completed a hunter trial. The plan is to continue in unaffiliated competitions in preparation for next year’s eventing season.
GALILEO FIGARO (Dressage) – Nicole Turner
11-year-old gelding by Galileo, formerly trained by Philip Kirby
Galileo Figaro’s racing career began in Australia before coming to the UK in 2010. In all he ran 28 times on the flat and over hurdles, winning one race. Following his retirement in 2012 Galileo Figaro went to Nicole Turner to start his retraining as a dressage horse. By autumn he had won his first class. His progress has continued and he is currently competing at Medium and Advanced Medium levels. This is the highest Nicole has been in her competitive career and so the two of them are learning together. Nicole hopes to move up before the end of the year to advanced level.
GULF OF NAPLES (Eventing, team chasing) – Suzanne Dickins
7-year-old gelding by Dubawi, formerly trained by Mark Johnston
A winner of 4 races from 12 starts, Gulf Of Naples was also placed in the Chester Cup and fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup of 2012. Gulf Of Naples was taken on by Holly Hall in February 2014 and since then she has been doing a bit of everything with him including, showing, one day events, hunter trials and team chasing. He has particularly impressed with his progress eventing, where his dressage has improved each time. He has also been out hunting with the Cambridgeshire University Drag Hounds.
PAPINEAU (Hacking) – Jane Burgess
15-year-old gelding by Singspiel, formerly trained by Saeed Bin Suroor
The winner of the Ascot Gold Cup in 2004, Papineau was originally rehomed back in 2009 and competed in unaffiliated dressage and also some racehorse to riding horse show classes. This included gaining a 3rd place at the Midlands County Show. Unfortunately, through no fault of his own Papineau had to be returned to Godolphin’s rehoming and retraining centre. He now enjoys hacking and is a much-loved family pet.
PRINCE BISHOP (Retraining) – Rosie McKee
8-year-old gelding 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. Following his retirement he and African Story enjoyed a spell together out at grass and he is now being retrained in a number of disciplines in order to make a decision on what career would suit him best.
PURPLE MOON (Showing) – Chantal Wootten
11 Year old gelding by Galileo, formerly trained by Luca Cumani
An international globetrotter on the track, Purple Moon enjoyed his greatest successes winning the Ebor handicap at York and finishing second in the 2007 Melbourne Cup. Following his retirement and as a consequence of Chantal’s hard work and dedication, Purple Moon has flourished in the showing world, winning at the RoR National Finals at Hickstead in 2014 as well as twice qualifying for the Horse of the Year Show. Earlier this year Chantal’s work with Purple Moon was acknowledged when she became the inaugural winner of the RoR Special Recognition at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.
QUADRILLE (Dressage) – Louise Robson
7-year-old gelding by Danehill Dancer, formerly trained by Richard Hannon
Owned by HM The Queen during his racing career, Quadrille ran seven times winning three races. Following his retirement in 2012 he joined Louise’s team of “Thoroughbred Dressage” horses and took part in the “All The Queens Horses” Diamond Jubilee Parade. In the dressage arena Quadrille has excelled, winning several classes and competing at the Winter National Championships in 2015. He won his first two outings at Advanced Medium level this year and Louise’s aim is to compete in their first “Prix St George” by the summer of next year.