Building on 47 years of popularity with racing fans and with over £7 million already raised for good causes, Macmillan Charity Raceday at York Racecourse this Saturday (17 June) promises to be an afternoon of quality racing that again helps those in most need.
Saturday’s principal race is The Catherine Kinloch Paver Memorial Macmillan Charity Stakes, run in memory of the inspirational shoe retailer, Cathy Paver, who died earlier this year. One of Britain’s richest sprint handicaps for three-year-olds, it offers prize money of £100,000. The roll of honour in this race over six furlongs includes top sprinters such as Cadeaux Genereux and Sheikh Albadou.
Still a relative new aspect of the event, the day will end with Best Western Hotels & Macmillan Ride of their Lives, a chance for eleven supporters to participate in a nine furlong race around the famous Knavesmire. Each has pledged at least £3,000 to the charity and you can help them beat last year’s contribution of over £150,000 by visiting their donation pages on Just Giving. Among the riders is Jo Ford, 45, a housewife from Bedale in North Yorkshire. Jo has recovered from surgery to rebuild part of her back following injury and disease affecting her spine. She has also had cancer twice. As well as, Stella Riley, 41, owner of a baby swimming business, who simply says “I want to make my two young boys proud.” The seven women and four men span three decades, aged 23 to 55.
The charity auction so generously supported over the years is now available to view online in advance of the raceday. This means everyone can place a bid for the many stunning lots. A VIP trip to Coolmore, a weekend break in a Best Western Hotel every month for a year, or a Woburn golf break are all amongst the travel items. An array of fine dining experiences, an Aagrah ‘cook in’ with Mohammed Aslam MBE, or the chance to brew your own recipe of beer or a private tour of York Minster, are some of the more unusual opportunities. Visit www.macmillanyorkraceday.co.uk<http://www.macmillanyorkraceday.co.uk> for more information on how to make your bid.
Since 2012, a Listed race has featured on the Saturday racing programme supported alongside the Charity Race by York-based, Best Western Hotels. The Ganton Stakes over one mile offers record prize money, increased to £50,000 and so provides another reason to attend the day, just by attending, racegoers will increase the money raised for charity.
Racing on Saturday begins at 1.55pm, with the 29th running of The Queen Mother’s Cup, the richest race for lady amateur riders in Britain and a contest won by The Princess Royal in 1988. It offers an opportunity for the successful rider to toast her success in her own weight of G.H. Mumm champagne.
Known as a world leader in construction technology, JCB, support a valuable handicap over seven furlongs. The high standard continues on this Charity Raceday with The Reg Griffin Appreciation EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes – a contest for two-year-olds named in honour of the founder of this Charity Day in 1971. The Ice Co° back a competitive handicap for the fifth year that denotes their support of Macmillan, a link that was cemented when company director, Polly Marr, rode in the Macmillan Charity Race of 2013. The seventh race of the card welcomes a debut supporter in Rievaulx Sporting, who offer some of the finest driven partridge, pheasant and duck shooting to be found anywhere in the world.
Macmillan Charity Day is part of a two-day meeting with racing on the Friday beginning with one of twenty-one contests at York to benefit from the backing of the European Breeders’ Fund; they also support the feature of the afternoon, a fillies’ handicap over six furlongs, that offers £30,000 in prize money and so cements the policy of every card on the Knavesmire being worth at least £100,000.
With an on course presence on every Friday at York, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing sponsor a valuable handicap contest over the fourteen furlong trip. The SKF Rous Selling Stakes has now been supported for more than a dozen years by engineering company, SKF (UK) Ltd. Then Goffs UK will bring the excitement of the Sales Ring to the Winner’s Enclosure with an auction straight after the race. The Jigsaw Sports Branding Stakes, a handicap contest over seven furlongs demonstrates the help given to the track by its sign and branding contractor. On a card full of variety, the work colleagues of Peter “Sooty” Sutton have backed the sort of ten furlong handicap that he loved in his memory, with the concluding race as a handicap contest for apprentice jockeys.
The ‘Punters’ Panel’ takes place prior to racing on both days from the winner’s podium as a preview to the action on each day, while giant screens will provide racegoers with an even closer view of proceedings on the track.
As part of a series of initiatives to get closer to the sport, groups of racegoers will be able to enjoy accompanied, complimentary trips to the round course starts. On Saturday, they will also have the chance to meet a retired racehorse, Harry, courtesy of equine charity, New Beginnings.
The two day meeting offers a further chance for racegoers to explore the latest improvements to the racegoing experience at York, such as, the extensive refurbishment of the eating area on the ground floor of the Ebor Stand. Called “Eat Between Our Races”, the new name seeks to capture the speed of service on offer, as well as referencing the most famous contest at the track. A range of freshly made hot and cold deli sandwiches and tasty cakes are likely to start as favourites in this particular race. The upgraded area forms part of a rolling programme of improvements that has seen the unveiling of £10 million Northern End Development in recent years. The past winter also saw an upgrading to the “thatched head-on box” which is a recognisable landmark at York. Renovated and restored in Douglas Fir to the style of the rest of the equine areas of the course, this improvement has been kindly supported by the Calvert family. True to York’s reputation, a bottle of champagne will be available from £31. Other tastes are catered for with an extended range of craft beers brewed by Ainsty Ales just beyond the six furlong start, the introduction of premium mixers from Fever-Tree to join the premium spirits served on the smart Moët Ice Roof Terrace, or the easy availability of Heineken 0.0 as a new, refreshing, zero alcohol option.
Musical accompaniment to the action will take the form of three different bands; Murphy’s Marbles performing their brand of foot stompin’ Irish fun in the Knavesmire Courtyard, whilst the equally upbeat The Players will draw proceedings will be brought to a close on Saturday. On both afternoons, the Tom Roberts Jazz band will entertain the crowds.