General Great News : Horse Racing just announced suddely awared of …….

A retired racehorse and Gold Cup winner could soon claim a new title.Fans travel from miles around to see Native River perform in his new career of dressage – and he has now secured a place in The Horse of the Year final.
The 14-year-old horse will travel from his home in Taunton to Birmingham this October to compete. Owners, Anne and Garth Broom, said he is the perfect age to pursue a new challenge, and qualified for the show on his first attempt.
“It’s been like a dream – we could never imagine all the places he’s taken us to and the races he’s won,” Mrs Broom said.
Six years on from his Gold Cup win, his owners said it was the way Native River moved that made them think he was destined for dressage.
“It’s one of the reasons we bought him because he was almost cat-like in his movements, he was so smooth and when he trotted he kind of floated,” Mr Broom said.
“To be a super racehorse and then turn out to be nearly as good in his second career – I think it’s absolutely wonderful.”Native River with head out of stableNative River will be competing in Horse of the Year final this autumn
Trainer and rider, Emma Vine, said the new direction for the former racehorse “wasn’t planned”.
She said: “I just started hacking him out and realised what potential he had just trotting along the road.
“He moved so well that I just started gently schooling him and he’s just come on amazing – every time I ride him he improves.”
Native River unusually qualified for The Horse of the Year show at his first attempt.
“It was really special,” she said. “People travel miles to see him – that’s almost more important than the winning – people seeing such an incredible animal having a second career and doing so well.”

Tom Marquand had been in this position before but still he could not quite believe it was happening: a compliment from the King, another trophy for the collection.

With impeccable timing in the final furlong, Marquand had delivered Porta Fortuna to win the Coronation Stakes. It had been billed as a standout race of the meeting and it did not disappoint, as Donnacha O’Brien’s filly mowed down Opera Singer, trained by his father Aidan.Tradition dictates the monarch presents this prize and, as such, there were some butterflies whenmade his way to meet the King and Queen. Marquand

They remember him fondly for the ride he gave to Desert Hero 12 months ago, delivering the King’s first Royal Ascot triumph as an owner. Once the formalities were over, Marquand made his way to a quiet corner and shook his head, thinking back to when he and his wife, jockey Hollie Doyle, were teenagers with stars in their eyes.

The dream was to ride at Royal Ascot and becoming major players still doesn’t seem real.