JOHN Weir’s Ringside Lucifer will be bidding to improve on his reserve championship position when he lines up in the private driving section in Horse Ring 1 next Friday.

The chesnut will first have to comprehensively win his over-138cms class, in which there are four entries, as there are in the up-to-138cm class which will be first to come before West Sussex judge, Gary Docking.

Sadly, the 2019 and multiple hackney champion, Joe McClelland’s well-known chesnut stallion Glenshane Dandy, died earlier this year so the connections of the 2019 reserve, Damian Sloan’s Heartland Twist And Shout, will be hoping he can take the title this year. He is set to have three rivals in the pony class, while Michael Hanlon’s Wentworth Moonraker is the sole entry in the horse class.

Donkey classes

Six exhibitors have made 21 entries for the Lowe Rental donkey classes (replacing the parades) in Horse Ring 1 on Wednesday afternoon but most animals have been doubly, if not, trebly entered.

The odd-ones out are Anne Brown’s Tilly in the mares’ class and three of Ashley Browns – Dunturk Blackjack in the four-year-olds and over stallion or gelding class, Dunturk Lady in the mares’ class and Blackberrys Firecracker in the driving class.

The best condition and turnout class will be the first to come under the scrutiny of judge Robert Cunningham from Lancashire.