Would you dare ride in front of full house on Knavesmire?

IF you have ever dreamed about riding in a race on York’s famous Knavesmire, there may be a chance to make this dream come true in June.

So long as you have the nerve and can ride well enough, it could be time to start preparing for the inaugural Macmillan Charity Race, which is going to be open to enthusiastic amateurs.

A maximum field of 12 is likely to compete in the nine-furlong flat race, with each rider guaranteeing a minimum sponsorship of £2,500.

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The charity race will be run before the rest of the day’s racing gets underway on June 16, in front of a crowd of over 25,000 people. The popular race day has already contributed over £5m to Macmillan and other charities since it was first held in 1971.

Would-be jockeys will have to take part in a one-day training course either at the British Racing School at Newmarket or at the Northern Racing College, Doncaster, to assess their fitness and competence.

There are some exemptions from this which include people who already hold or have held a jockey’s licence, stable or professional hunt staff and event riders who have competed at Intermediate level.

The Countess of Halifax, who is president of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “This initiative offers the chance for riders to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience while raising funds for a very worthy cause.

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“It forms part of a fund raising programme that has many aspects, including a silent auction, charity lunch and racecourse raffle.”

The day’s racing includes the Queen Mother’s Cup, the richest race for amateur riders in the country. There will also be a new, top class race, the £33,000 Ganton Stakes, a listed race over one mile for three-year-olds and upwards.

The closing date for Charity Race applications is April 1. For more information and to download an application form, go to www.yorkracecourse.co.uk or call Charlotte Cundall on 01904 620911.

Nick Skelton, riding Beverley Widdowson’s grey stallion Carlo, continued his winning streak at the weekend, winning Sunday’s $150,000 Grand Prix in Wellington, Florida. The pair beat Laura Kraut (USA) and Ireland’s Richie Maloney, who finished second and third respectively.

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There were 48 entries for the Grand Prix with 11 riders, representing eight different countries, making it through to the jump-off. Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Intertoy Z finished eighth.

Skelton and Carlo have excelled in this year’s competition and Sunday was their biggest win yet. Skelton has also had victories with his other top horses, Unique XVIII and Big Star.

An award for the Nutritional Helpline of the Year has been won for the sixth year running by the North Yorkshire based family firm TopSpec, well-known for its range of horse feed and supplements and which runs a helpline giving nutritional advice.

The award was presented to Katy Mickle of TopSpec at the annual BETA Business Awards dinner.

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