news Cue Card, Sire De Grugy and Barbers Shop on parade at Sandown Park

A trio of former stars on the track will be parading at Sandown Park on Saturday 1^st February to showcase their versatility and suitability for alternative careers after racing.

Multiple Grade 1 winners Cue Card and Sire De Grugy will be joined by HM The Queen’s Barbers Shop, himself the winner of a Listed Chase at Sandown Park, who in his post racing career became one of the leading former racehorses to compete in showing classes.

The three horses will parade in the main paddock at 2.05pm, in between races three and four. In addition, from around 1pm and immediately after the 2.05pm parade, racegoers can go and see Cue Card and Barbers Shop ‘up close and personal’ by the Owners’ and Trainers’ facility, adjacent to the Weighing Room.

The nine-time Grade 1 winner Cue Card retired in 2018 with career earnings of over £1.4m. Since leaving Colin Tizzard’s care, Cue Card has adapted very well to his new career with renowned showing producer, Katie Jerram-Hunnable. Last year he started by taking part in, and winning, some RoR In-hand show classes and his owner Jean Bishop is keenly following his progress.

Katie Jerram-Hunnable previously retrained Barbers Shop for a second career in the show-ring. Among the pair’s many successes was victory in the RoR Tattersalls Show Series final at Hickstead and three times winner and champion at Royal Windsor Horse Show. He is now 18 years-old and retired from competitive showing.

Sire De Grugy is a particular favourite of the Sandown Park crowd. He made his racecourse debut there in 2010 before going on to win 17 of his 42 career starts, including two Tingle Creek Chases and two Celebration Chases at the Esher track. Retired from racing in December 2017, Sire De Grugy has since been enjoying life at the Gary Moore’s Cisswood Racing Stables. Jamie Moore’s wife, Lucie, takes him out riding with their children and he is very much a part of the family.

Saturday’s RoR Awareness Day at Sandown Park is part of an initiative to increase awareness among racegoers of the versatility of racehorses and the increasingly wide range of options available to them when their racing careers are over.