The Spring Racing Carnival is now behind us for 2016. It left racing fans across Australia and the world with many great memories of fantastic racing on the track and many great performances by highly gifted and, in some cases, some very expensive thoroughbreds.Some will go on to even greater heights, such as Winx, whom we are all hoping can stretch her Cox Plate streak to a record-equaling three wins next October. Similarly, Guineas and Derby-winning colts and fillies will be looking to see their stock prices reach new peaks with even richer successes.But for some horses, their racing careers might be coming to an end. What happens then? An event in Melbourne this week -- Equitana -- showcases just how horses, successful or unsuccessful on the track, can continue their competitive prospects in some very positive ways.Beginning on Thursday, Equitana is a four-day competition and exhibition with shows and events for everything equine; from stock horses to brumbies and thoroughbreds in show jumping to barrel racing. If you like horses of all sorts, and can get to Melbourne, then ESPN may now have sorted your weekend for you.A key part of Equitana will be participation of thoroughbreds in the off the track showjumping and showing showcases -- a program spearheaded by Racing Victoria, the governing body of thoroughbred racing in that state.One competitor who will garner a lot interest is Sirmione, formerly trained by 12-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer and racing legend, the late Bart Cummings.Twice a Group 1 winner, Sirmione won the 2007 Mackinnon Stakes in an upset result at 60-1 and the 2008 Australian Cup, both over 2000 metres at Flemington. A life at stud was never an option for the gelding but a career in other competitive sport was; and he has become comparatively successful.He was a very well put together animal, Peter Mertens, who rode Sirmione to both Group 1 wins, told ESPN. He always had show stamped on him.Ive seen some of them coming through racing and they dont do too well as a winning prospect on the track but theyve been very good at showjumping, added the seven-time Group 1-winning jockey who now enjoys his own retirement from race riding.He used to get around the mounting yard and carry himself really well. He had that look about him. He was always on his toes and had that really good look about him. It is no surprise at all that hes gone on to do well there.Mertens said he rated Sirmione one of the best horses that he had achieved such high levels of success aboard.From his racing days spent at Cummings stable at Flemington, Sirmione is now under the care of Off The Track trainer Fiona McIntyre; he calls Inverleigh home, west of Melbourne.McIntyre is a trainer of show horses who has also now turned her attention to re-training thoroughbreds towards new horizons.Not all ex-racehorses have the temperament to go onto these [different] disciplines, McIntyre said. Sirmione took to showing incredibly well. His transition from being a racehorse to was one of the easiest that I have been involved in.He behaves and doesnt bat an eye lid on the big stages; he goes out and performs every time.Sirmione enjoyed a second placing at last years Adelaide Show.There has some very negative press over time on the treatment of horses in their post-racing days, and historically there were few options for thoroughbreds to continue in a competitive environment. Racing Victorias manager of equine welfare Raelene Harrison says there has been significant progress made in the past few years to bring about positive change.Harrison said that 40 re-trainers had been accredited under Off The Track since the program commenced in 2012, and Racing Victoria hoped to see 20 more in the next 18 months.A challenge for racings authorities has been to pave a way for the growing number of horses retiring and steering them towards other positive opportunities. Many more thoroughbreds are now going into new stables and mixing it with other breeds. Some take to it, others dont.Success on the track isnt necessarily a pre-requisite for success off of it, but Sirmione is leading the charge on the for retired racehorses on the equestrian stage while another blue-riband performer, 2006 Group 1 Australian Derby winner Headturner, is leading a sedate life as a pleasure-riding horse for a 75-year-old lady on the Victoria beachside suburb of Leongatha.The competitive circuit is expanding. These horses have had the opportunity to return to the races in their current pursuits at demonstration events held during racemeetings at Caulfield and Mornington. Spectators have been able to get up close to showjumping events with temporary, but attractive, courses set up on the public lawns.Precedence is another Cummings-trained successful galloper who is destined to perform off the track under McIntyres care. The gelding notched two wins in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) and ran in four Melbourne Cups, with his best result a sixth placing in 2014. A year after retiring from racing, McIntyre is about to embark on the geldings retraining towards a showjumping career.The expansion and willingness of thoroughbred racing participants to progress their retired chargers to showing or dressage has been a boost for the competitive equine industries, too.To be fair, we only used to get the slow ones who didnt make it into our stables but now there are top-line performers like Sirmione coming through, McIntyre said.Equitana Melbourne is being held at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds until Sunday. The thoroughbreds will take centre stage on Friday and Sunday. Golden Knights Jerseys China . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Golden Knights Jerseys 2020 . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. https://www.cheapgoldenknights.com/ . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. Vegas Golden Knights Store . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Custom Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. HONG KONG -- Seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic won the only completed match at the rain-delayed Hong Kong Open on Wednesday, beating qualifier Aleksandra Krunic 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals.Top-ranked Angelique Kerber was leading Louisa Chirico 6-2, 3-6, 2-1 in another second-round match before it was halted by rain. Eighth-seeded Daria Gavrilova was leading Kateerina Siniakova 6-2, 1-0 when play was called.ddddddddddddThose matches will be resumed on Thursday, with second-seeded Venus Williams, third-seeded Johanna Konta and fifth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki also scheduled to play in the second round. ' ' '