A WIMMERA racehorse-turned-equestrian star will compete for back-to-back open hunter hack titles at the Royal Canberra Show on Thursday.
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Former Rupanyup equestrian enthusiast and rider Christine Frost bought the gelding, which goes by show name Elmdale Park Presidential, in January 2013.
Tomorrow, it will compete in the open hunter hack over 16.2 hands and the gents hunter over 15 hands.
Frost said Elmdale Park Presidential, to be ridden by Greg Mickan, was in good form ahead of the show.
"We think he has a great chance, but you just never know," she said.
"If he wins either of those classes he will have a chance to compete for champion of the show.
"I can tell you if he does win, you'll hear me cheering from Horsham."
Frost said Elmdale Park Presidential had enjoyed a successful equestrian career.
It won the 2015 Equestrian Victoria large hunter hack over 16 hands of the year and 2015 Show Horse Council large hunter hack of the year.
Frost said the six-year-old chestnut was named the reserve champion at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney last year after winning the gents hunter and finishing second in the hunter over 16.2 class.
Frost said Elmdale Park Presidential had flourished in equestrian circles after a lacklustre racing career.
Longerenong trainer Majella Ballantine and her father Jack Delahunty originally bought the horse and registered it as The Top.
Ballantine said her father nicknamed it Bobby, because of its resemblance to the legendary Pharlap.
She said resemblance was the only similarity between the two horses.
"We took him down to Caulfield for a jump-out one day. He trotted out onto the track and then he just lay down, with the jockey on his back," she said.
"It was as if to say, I want to go back to bed, I don't want any part of this."
The Top's best finish in its 11 career starts was a fourth in a maiden at Ararat.
Ballantine said she eventually realised The Top did not have the heart for racing.
She called Frost to suggest she try to train it as an equestrian horse.
"I knew when he was bought by Christine all the pampering would suit him very well and I knew he would love that life," she said.
"We thought he was Garryowen material and I rang Christine to say I thought he would be ideal as a top class hunter hack."
The Royal Canberra Show starts today and runs until Sunday at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
