THERE were four classes for ex-racehorses at last weekend’s Tattersalls July Show with two qualifiers being held on Saturday for the following day’s finals.

Two series, in showing and working hunters, were held throughout the country since early June and, while not all qualified horses turned up on Sunday, there were some former headline names among those who did such as Arvika Ligeonniere, Certerach, Don Cossack and Rule The World.

Saturday’s qualifier for the IHWT (Irish Horse Welfare Trust) Thoroughbred Club working hunter series was sponsored by Weatherbys Ireland and was judged by Britain’s Michelle Underwood (ride) and Bridget Millington (conformation).

The latter will be remembered by many as rider of Ronnie Bartlett’s Joe Blake when that top hunter chaser was brought over from Scotland to contest the racehorse to riding horse class at the 2009 Dublin Horse Show.

While some of the non-thoroughbred horses were distracted by those gathered on the bank overlooking the working hunter arena, the ex-racehorses never gave them a second glance and, once over the first, a tree trunk under rustic poles which came off the corner, the majority improved in their jumping as their rounds progressed.

Seven of the nine horses who jumped were recalled for the second phase of the competition (ride and conformation judging) after which, when the marks were totted up, Gigginstown House Stud’s Don Cossack was announced as winner ahead of Louise Duffy’s Arvika Ligeonniere and John Bannon’s Sizing Alberta, both of whom are eventing at novice level.

Unfortunately for the Irish breeder, both of these horses are French-bred, while Don Cossack, who was trained by Gordon Elliott for much of his career, was foaled in Germany.

The 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is being produced for Gigginstown by former Olympic event rider Louise Lyons who, with partner Nick Teehan, runs the Bluegate Stud and livery yard in Co Kilkenny. “I just love riding Don Cossack,” said Lyons who also won the open working hunter class at the show on MJM Laszlo and the middleweight hunter class and ridden hunter championship on Dartans Block Buster.

“He gives the most amazing feel and he’s enjoying the working hunter classes which I think are brilliant for these horses as they love jumping. Dot Love used to pre-train the horse and told me I was doing a wonderful job with him which was really nice of her.”

POINT WIN

Don Cossack and Arvika Ligeonniere, whose 10 track wins included four at Grade 1 level, reappeared on Sunday for the final of the working hunter series but they had to settle for second and third places respectively behind Heisacoolhand whose highlight as a racehorse was a win in a confined point-to-point maiden at Stradbally in April 2012.

The grey was then partnered by his handler between the flags, Ciaran Murphy, but, on Sunday, the now 13-year-old Great Palm gelding was ridden by his former trainer on the track, the above-mentioned Dot Love.

“Since leaving racing, he has done everything,” commented the owner/rider. “He competed in hunter trials, all kinds of Pony Club activities with different riders and also in one-star (novice) events.”

Heisacoolhand, who was bred by Patrick Day out of a Camden Town mare, has been around Tattersalls twice, finishing 12th on his dressage score in the national junior one-star championships last year when ridden by Rebecca Joyce.

As Love evented internationally for Denmark for many years, she was asked what she would think of having a class confined to ex-racehorses at one of our national events, preferably Tattersalls, and she was all in favour of such a proposal.

“I really enjoyed the jumping here today but, you know, I think we could have had a more challenging course with a ditch perhaps.”

Not everyone would agree with her there!