Godolphin sponsors retired racehorses contest in Melbourne

The Spring Racing Carnival may be over for another year but horse fans can turn their attention from the trackside to ringside this weekend to see some of Australia’s premier thoroughbred talent compete in a new career.

Racing Victoria (RV) will support the second annual Off the Track National Show Horse Championship sponsored by Godolphin which will be held at the Werribee National Equestrian Centre this Saturday night, 26 November.

The unique equestrian event features an exclusive line-up of eight retired thoroughbred racehorses from four different states that qualified via their eye-catching performances in their state’s respective Off the Track Show Series.

RV Chief Executive, Bernard Saundry, said he was delighted to see a host of retired racehorses excelling in their careers after racing.

“Thousands of thoroughbred racehorses have gone on to successful showing careers following their retirement from the racetrack; they are highly versatile animals and we continue to see them enjoying great success at all levels in their post-racing careers,” Saundry said.

“The National Show Horse Championship is one of many initiatives undertaken by our Off the Track program dedicated to supporting retired racehorses in second careers, which is part of Racing Victoria’s recently-announced Equine Welfare Strategy.”

Godolphin, the global thoroughbred breeding and horseracing stable founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, sponsored the inaugural National Off The Track Championships in 2015 and is proud to again partner with Racing Victoria to sponsor the 2016 Championships.

Speaking in support of the event, Henry Plumptre, Managing Director of Godolphin in Australia, said “Godolphin’s priority is the lifetime care of the thoroughbred racehorse and we want them to be able to go on to successfully fulfil other roles once their racing careers have finished.

“Off The Track Thoroughbred events such as this National Championship, provide a great platform to showcase the thoroughbred’s versatility and talent.

“Godolphin is committed to supporting initiatives that focus on thoroughbred welfare and celebrate the horses’ success beyond the racetrack and we wish the eight thoroughbred competitors that have travelled from across Australia the best of luck for Saturday’s competition,” he said.

Saturday’s event, which will open at 5pm with another show horse class exclusive to retired racehorses, the Fashions Off the Track led class, will provide a terrific spectacle of the thoroughbred and aims to showcase one of the many post-racing careers into which racehorses can successfully transition.

General Admission is FREE and those from both the racing and equestrian communities are encouraged to attend the event, which is being run by the Show Horse Council of Victoria.