Goldream perfectly illustrates invaluable work of New Beginnings

Group One-winning sprinter is the perfect gentleman – and ambassador – in retirement.

In late August every year, the racing fraternity – its stars, supporters and spectators – descend on York for the Ebor meeting.

This season it was Baaeed, the great unbeaten heir apparent to the mighty Frankel, who headlined the fixture with his immaculate success in the Juddmonte International.

As he sauntered past the post without a rival in his shadow, he was watched not only by a captivated Knavesmire crowd, but also a pair of equine onlookers stood calmly in a penned-off enclosure by the rail.

Neither of the two horses is a stranger to the racecourse, nor indeed to crossing the line first. But both stood with perfect composure as runners thundered past time and time again in a rush of hoofbeats and swishing whips.

Once upon a time they were the horses in the limelight, their names printed on racecards and winning betting slips, but those days inevitably expire and a horse’s racing career only makes up a proportion of their lifespan.

The cream of the crop can be skimmed off and sent to stud, but the majority of horses often find themselves on the hunt for a new role.

Once actively avoided by equestrians due to a perception of fragility and sharpness, the demand for ex-racehorses is now rising, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Retraining Of Racehorses and their work in highlighting the versatility of the breed.

There is a middle phase, however, between the racecourse and the secondary career, where horses need to be patiently and thoroughly retrained in order to understand the demands of a life spent at a more sedate pace.

This is where New Beginnings, a Yorkshire-based charity, come in. Founded in 2010 and based near Pocklington, their Bishop Wilton base can house up to 30 horses whose racing days are behind them.

Their two York attendees, who stood so affably for the four-day meeting as racegoers queued to meet them, are the perfect living example of the value of their work.

Goldream during his racing career
Goldream during his racing career (Julian Herbert/PA)

The darker of the two gelding was Goldream, equine ambassador to York racecourse and formerly a top-class sprinter for trainer Robert Cowell, winning two Group One titles in the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp and the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot.

Known as ‘Remy’ and now 13 years of age, the horse bowed out as a nine-year-old and found his way to New Beginnings after a brief spell at the British Racing School.

“He is a wonderful ambassador, he’s just a lovely horse. You can do anything with him, he’s just been so easy all the way through,” said Pam Atkinson, co-founder of New Beginnings.

“Robert Cowell came to see him at York and said how well he looked, he couldn’t believe how calmly he stood right next to the track.

“They have the parade ring across from them, the horses coming past and then pulling up, the noise of the crowd as well – it’s an awful lot to ask of a horse and they were both brilliant.”

Remy was accompanied by Nearly Caught, known as ‘Nico’, also a Group performer as he has a victory in the Prix Kergorlay to his name alongside a string of Listed successes for trainer Hughie Morrison.

York is not the only racecourse the charity has links with as they have taken part in parades at several other tracks, alongside which they take their horses to those who benefit from the joy of being around animals the most – recently visiting a hospice with Goldream and his friend Poppy, a precious little grey pony.

Remy, a top-flight winner of five-furlong sprints, is now also a champion in a discipline that is the anthesis of his former career – dressage.

Together with fellow New Beginnings horse Chil The Kite, trained to six victories on the Flat, Goldream competed at the ROR National Championships at Aintree in late August – with both horses placing in the dressage classes alongside some of the smartest ex-racehorses in the country.

While Goldream, Poppy and Nearly Caught are permanent residents at New Beginnings, the charity operates a retraining and loaning scheme for former racehorses in need of a new home.

“We never have to go looking for horses, they find us,” said Kevin Atkinson, co-founder alongside his wife.

“The ROR run a vulnerable horse scheme for horses who need help urgently, we are among a handful of yards who will take them, but a lot come to us from owners or people who have got them from the trainers themselves.”

The Atkinsons and their staff then take their time in retraining the horses and trying to match them with new riders, though the charity never sells their horses so that they can always ensure their welfare.

“People will come to view a horse and we’ll put them on a schoolmaster first to get an idea of the level they’re riding at,” Pam explained.

“Then they’ll get on the horse, one of the girls will perhaps ride them first, and have a walk, trot and canter. We show them everything, we bring the horse in from the field, show them the horse in the stable so they can get to know them properly.

Nearly Caught in action on the track
Nearly Caught in action on the track (Julian Herbert/PA)

“They might then come back again and bring the horse in themselves, tack them up, do everything with them while we just supervise. It might be a process of two or three visits to make sure they are a match.

“Sometimes people will come with a particular horse in mind, walk across the field to fetch him and another one will just come over and you can see that they’ve taken to each other. It’s like buying a puppy sometimes, you don’t pick one, they pick you!”

While Remy and Nico act as fantastic equine ambassadors for New Beginnings, there are important interactions between racegoers and Pam and Kevin, who patiently answer questions about horses’ willingness to race, their lives beyond the track and the necessity to, in worst case scenarios, euthanise injured animals.

“The vast majority of people, with just a bit of explanation, can understand perfectly,” said Pam.

“We’re not from a racing background and it helps us to understand another perspective, which is how people are viewing it from the outside.

“What we hear time and time again is ‘oh, I never thought of it like that.’.”

Kevin added: “We have lots of conversations with people at the races and answer all their questions, we had a group at York who said, despite being there, that they didn’t agree with racing.

“After talking to them for a bit, all but one of them had changed their mind.

“We are friends of racing, we are not directly involved but we support racing, without racing there wouldn’t be the thoroughbred and we do what we do for the love of the thoroughbred.

“Some people love racing, some people love riding and some people just love horses. We love all three, that’s why we do what we do.

“We don’t have weekends and barely have holidays but it isn’t really a job, it’s a passion, and we’ll never stop.”

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