AMONG the near 200 former track performers competing at this weekend’s RoR National Championship Show at the Aintree Equestrian Centre are Forpadydeplasterer and Sizing Australia, champion and reserve in last Sunday’s IHWT Thoroughbred Club Retired Racehorse Final at Tullow Show.

Five qualifiers were held throughout the country for this series, beginning at Tattersalls International Horse Trials in early June, and made possible through support from Godolphin and The Turf Club.

There was a large crowd around the ring when conformation judge Gail List, the breeder of Champers On Ice among others, and Kevin McGuinness (ride) began judging the nine horses forward.

Three-time winner of the ITM racehorse to riding horse class at the Dublin Horse Show, Forpadytheplasterer always stood top of the line-up under Joanne Quirke while Jeannie Cook and Sizing Australia, winners of an open point-to-point at Tallow in February, were in their shadow throughout.

“The quality of horse, production and ride in these classes has definitely improved in recent seasons,” said McGuinness. “They behaved well, showing no signs of ill manners, and all rode well in the ring. Some were a little green at first but then settled down.”

Having placed the horses in their final line-up, List and McGuinness were joined by Maureen Mullins who presented the perpetual trophy and rosettes.

Cook rode her first winner on the track at Bellewstown on Thursday, for her fiance Paul Power, on Bakers Street. Before committing herself to avail of the prize, which included travel and accommodation for horse, rider and groom to Aintree, she had to make sure she could take time off for the trip from Sizing Australia’s former trainer Henry de Bromhead.

Being her own boss, Quirke was a lot quicker to confirm that she would be travelling with Forpadydeplasterer, who can go straight to tomorrow’s Supreme Championship. However, Quirke has also entered the 14-year-old Moscow Society gelding in four other classes, two under side-saddle.

The finals of the ITM series for Open and Retrained ex-racehorses take place tomorrow at the Iverk Show near Piltown, Co Kilkenny.

Tullow Show, Sunday, August 21st, IHWT Thoroughbred Club Retired Racehorse Final – 1, Forpadydeplasterer (Joanne Quirke), 14yo b g by Moscow Society – Run Artiste, by Deep Run, bd John Broderick; 2, Sizing Australia (Jeannie Cook), 14yo b g by New Frontier – All The Gear, by Nashamaa, bd James P. Linnane; 3, Backtomollys (Kat Hopkins), 6yo ch g by Trans Island – Knockout Law, by Marignan, bd Arctic Tack Stud; 4, Glantara (Lois Chappell), 14yo b g by Beneficial – Beat That I, by Buckskin, bd Tony Harrington; 5 (and veteran prize), Wall Wise (Zoe Shannon), 15yo b g by Frimaire – Arrogant Lady, by Aragon, bd Clara View Stud; 6, Mr Shankly (Petra Haubrich), 11yo b g by Portrait Gallery – Walk On, by Welsh Term, bd Hugh J. Holohan.