The Betfair Clock Tower Cup is a charity race solely for stable staff held over 7 furlongs with those taking part riding horses who are in training with their employer. Now in its third year, the race is becoming an established event in the racing calendar at Doncaster. The race celebrates the hard work that stable staff dedicate to looking after and exercising racehorses and gives them an opportunity to experience the excitement of riding on the track, often for the first time. The race is one of the highlights of Racing Staff Week which started on 1st July and continues until Saturday 8th July.

The winning rider in the Betfair Clock Tower Cup 2017 was Mark Simms, who gave his horse Baron Run a well-judged ride to win by a neck. Mark works for Karl Burke in Middleham and is a graduate of the British Racing School. Mark has worked in racing for the best part of 10 years and has travelled all around the UK and Europe as part of his job as a Travelling Head Person. Mark said after the race “I was worried that I had gone too fast early on, but as I started to pull away from the pack and catch the leader I knew that we could win. It’s great to win today and it’s fantastic to be raising money for Racing Welfare. They do so much for the racing community in Middleham.”

Mark was presented with prizes by Flat Jockey Luke Morris which included a yellow and black Betfair branded saddle made by Gibson Saddlers as well as training to the value of £1,000 at either the British Racing School or Northern Racing College to achieve his Category A Amateur license or undertake another career-enhancing course.

Second place went to the long-time leader Jessie O’Kane who rode Buccaneers Vault for Malton trainer Paul Midgley. Jessie wins a whip kindly donated by White Rose Saddlery as well as Champagne and vouchers for Gibson Saddlers. Third placed rider was Jenny Walker, riding Pennine Warrior for trainer Scott Dixon (who takes home prizes from White Rose Saddlery and a Gibson Saddlers voucher) and fourth went to Poppy Fielding riding Chosen Character for trainer Tom Dascombe who wins Candy Bluetooth Earphones and a voucher for Gibson Saddlers.

All riders who took part in the races have received medals and a beanie hat and base layer donated by Careers in Racing. Congratulations must also go to Julie Kelshaw, riding for Patrick Holmes who raised the most sponsorship for today’s race.
The twelve riders who took part:

Danny Bembridge (Scott Dixon)
Poppy Fielding (Tom Dascombe)
Rhianon Horne (Daniel Mark Loughnane)
Jessie O’Kane (Paul Midgley)
Jenny Walker (Scott Dixon)
Julie Kelshaw (Patrick Holmes)
Amy Lawrence (Marjorie Fife)
Mark Simms (Karl Burke)
Elise Kemp (Karl Burke)
Kieran O’Hare (Martin Keighley)
Jess Richardson (Jedd O’Keeffe)
Samantha Pugh (Tim Easterby)