Over £350k raised at Macmillan Charity Raceday

It was the 44th time the event was staged at the racecourse, pushing the overall fundraising figure to more than £6.2 million.

Hayley Cooke, special events manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Thank you to everyone who supported Macmillan Charity Raceday in 2014.

"The generous and unstinting support of everyone at the racecourse is matched by the racegoers themselves. Whether by renting a box, sponsoring a race or simply buying an admission ticket, everyone involved ensured money was being donated to Macmillan.

"Beyond that, it was wonderful to see so many people that were happy to also spend money on raffles, donate or bid in the charity auctions, or put more money in collection buckets. Such generosity allows us to fund more Macmillan services which are there to make sure no one faces cancer alone."

Attention is now turning to next year’s event, which returns to the racecourse on June 13.

The opportunity of open for amateur riders to actually take part in a race.

The Macmillan Charity Race sees 12 amateurs ride their dream on the prestigious course. Each rider pledges to raise at least £2,500 for Macmillan, through their efforts and the backing of their supporters.

This year saw participant Peter Fahey raise £13,257. Peter was also the youngest participant, aged 19, whilst Froot Atkins, nearly four decades his senior, at 56, was the senior competitor and posted a very welcome £12,324 to the kitty.

Hayley added: “The Macmillan Charity Race gives amateur riders a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride a thoroughbred on the Knavesmire in front of a packed crowd. If you want to be a part of this, there’s still time apply for 2015.”

Full details of how to apply to take part in next year’s Macmillan Charity Race can be found at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk

For any other enquiries about next year’s event, please contact Hayley Cooke, Special Events Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, on 07894 936 353 or email Hcooke@macmillan.org.uk