A dozen former racehorses, including nine individual top flight winners, will be parading on Tuesday, day one of The Festival™ presented by Magners at Cheltenham.

 

The annual event is organised by racing's official charity for the welfare of retired racehorses, Retraining of Racehorses (RoR).  Seven of the participants are winners at The Festival and the parade will showcase the range of activities and opportunities open to racehorses when they finish their racing careers. 

 

Having once finished first and second when taking each other on in the 2016 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, the nine time grade one winner Cue Card and the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Coneygree, will not feature in a Cheltenham betting guide, but will possibly face each other in the show ring. 

 

Mark Bradstock's Coneygree only retired from racing in February 2019, but he has adapted quickly to his new career. Ridden by the trainer's wife, Sara, Coneygree has already won RoR showing classes and the aim for 2020 is to qualify for the prestigious RoR Tattersalls Show Series Final at Hickstead in June.

 

Renowned showing producer Katie Jerram-Hunnable, who has previously enjoyed notable successes with The Queen's Barbers Shop, is re-training Cue Card to compete in in-hand showing classes and he is already a winner on the circuit. An early season target for 2020 is the ridden RoR class at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. 

Other Festival winners in the parade, which is again sponsored by the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust, include Captain Chris, Dodging Bullets, Master Minded, The New One and Zarkandar. 

 

Di Arbuthnot, Chief Executive of RoR, added: "In terms of what they have achieved in their racing careers and also in their second careers, I think this year's line-up is probably the strongest we have ever had. 

 

"Not only does the parade boast nine G1 winners, including a Gold Cup winner, two Queen Mother Champion Chase winners and an Arkle winner, but their feats in their second careers are notable too. All twelve have found their metier in a discipline and role in a life after racing, whether it be showing, eventing, hunting, dressage or team chasing.

 

"Our thanks to Cheltenham for giving us the opportunity to parade these horses and to the Sir Peter Charitable O'Sullevan Trust for their generous and on-going support of the RoR parades."