Building on 44 years of popularity with racing fans and with the target of reaching £6 million for good causes, Macmillan Charity Day at York Racecourse this Saturday (June 14) promises to be an afternoon of quality racing that also helps good causes.
Saturday’s principal race is The BetBright Charity Sprint, one of Britain’s richest sprint handicaps for three-year-olds, which 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. New sponsors to York this year, the Dublin based BetBright are keen to support the charity and are offering a £10 donation for every new account opened.
For the third time, the day will end with The Macmillan Charity Race, a chance for twelve supporters to “ride the dream” as they participate in a nine furlong race around the famous Knavesmire. Each has pledged at least £2,500 to the charity and you can help them beat last year’s contribution of over £60,000 by visiting their donation pages on Just Giving. Aged from nineteen to fifty -six the mixed group also represent many walks of life and include the daughter of a Champion Jockey in Gemma Darley and the son of a York Champion Trainer, in Peter Fahey.
Once again, 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 thirty stunning lots. A week in Bergerac or a weekend in Paris, or even a Tanzanian Adventure holiday are amongst the travel items, with an array of fine dining experiences and various prestigious racing opportunities. Bespoke hats, shoes and gentleman’s shirts feature from the fashion world with the chance to make your own chocolate offering one of the more unusual opportunities. Visit the yorkracecourse.co.uk news section for more information on how to make your bid.
Since 2012, a Listed race has featured on the Saturday racing programme supported once again by Yorkshire-based racehorse owners, Ian and Kate Hall. The Ganton Stakes over one mile offers prize money of £37,000 and provides another reason to attend the day, just by attending, racegoers will increase the money raised for charity.
Racing on Saturday begins at 2-05 p.m. with the 26th 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.
JCB support a valuable handicap over nine furlongs for the first time. The high standard continues on this Charity Day 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 Company back a competitive handicap for the second year that denotes their support of Macmillan, a link that was cemented when company director, Polly Marr, rode in in the Macmillan Charity Race last year. The traditional seventh race of the card is once again, The Charles Henry Memorial Stakes.
Macmillan Charity Day is part of a two-day meeting with racing on the Friday also being backed by Betbright. The day begins with the support of Constant Security and the European Breeders’ Fund for a maiden two-year-olds affair over the minimum trip of five furlongs.
Neptune Investment Management return to support a handicap contest over the extended ten furlongs to complement their backing of the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August. The SKF Rous Selling Stakes is supported for the tenth year by engineering company, SKF (UK) Ltd. Then DBS (Doncaster Bloodstock Sales) will bring the excitement of the Sales Ring to the Winner’s Enclosure with an auction straight after the race. The Geoff Pemberton Memorial Stakes, a handicap contest over seven furlongs is held to remember a local racehorse owner and The Garbutt & Elliott Stakes – a handicap race for stayers over one mile and three-quarters shows the link to the course’s audit partners. On a card full of variety, the concluding race is a handicap contest for apprentice jockeys.
The totepool-supported ‘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.