Macmillan charity the winner as raceday event passes £6m milestone

The event – now in its 44th year – represents one of the most enduring relationships between a sporting venue and a charity in the country, and Saturday’s 28,000-plus crowd on the Knavesmire helped swell the amount raised to £6.2m.

“I think it is an astounding amount,” Lady Halifax, the president of Macmillan Cancer Support, told The Yorkshire Post. “We are very lucky to count on the generosity of racegoers. We have a call centre at Shipley and the money will help to support its work. The raceday is our biggest fundraising event of the year.” The first raceday, inspired by the late Reg Griffin of Halifax-based Timeform, took place at Doncaster in 1971 when the Queen was present on Town Moor to watch her horse Charlton, named after footballers Bobby and Jack, win. The now annual event moved to York the next year and now includes a charity race won this year by barrister Chloe Fairley aboard Tony Coyle’s Checkpoint.

Payments warning: Page 5; Comment: Page 10.