Every race during Redcar’s popular Circus Family Fun Day on Sunday, July 20, day three of the Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival, sponsored by Sky Bet, will be an apprentice race.

And the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) has given its support to the meeting for investing in the rising stars of the sport.

The PJA’s Executive Director, Dale Gibson, a former jockey himself, said: “The PJA very much supports these occasional apprentice cards. The fixture ties in with multiple participant welfare measures which have been introduced and expanded in recent years following PJA proposals, including extended code breaks and rider restricted meetings.

“Days like these create additional opportunities for younger jockeys to advertise their talents and gain invaluable additional experience, and at the same time provide a rare mid-summer day off for fully fledged Jockeys during an ever-demanding period of the year.

“Following on from the continued success of the apprentice only day at Goodwood last month we hope everyone involved will benefit for the additional experience and exposure, especially as the stand-alone Sunday flat fixture.”

The Redcar all-apprentice meeting has also been backed by former champion Jockey Paul Hanagan, who was champion apprentice in 2002. After riding 81 winners as an apprentice, Paul went on to become a classic-winning rider as well as champion jockey twice in 2010 and 2011.

He remains actively involved in the sport following his retirement and is highly respected throughout the industry.

Paul said: “I think it’s a great initiative and a real feather in Redcar’s cap to have a full apprentice meeting – I love the idea.

“I wish there had been something like this when I was an apprentice because it will be great experience and an important part of the learning curve for young jockeys. I hope it’s the start of something that can be built on.”

Apprentice jockey Rhys Elliott, who is attached to the Michael Dods stable and is a regular at Redcar, added: “I really welcome this because the more experience we can give young riders the better.”

Rhys won last year’s Go Racing In Yorkshire Future Stars Apprentice Handicap at the corresponding meeting on Phil Kirby’s Gastronomy.

Amy Fair, Redcar’s general manager, said Redcar had been approached by the British Horseracing Authority to help trial the idea.

Amy said: “We were delighted to be asked and immediately saw it as a hugely positive initiative. Not only does it provide more opportunities and experience for apprentices, but it’s a way of giving our hard-working senior jockeys a break.

“It’s something new for the sport and we’re proud to be helping to blaze a trail.”