HUNTSMAN Charles Clark, from Selby, will ride against former Grand National winner Ryan Mania at Aintree next month in a charity race for the Countryside Alliance Foundation.

Clark, who is the joint master of the Holderness hunt, last raced five years ago and has ridden at Wetherby racecourse in hunter chases.

The charity race - where amateur riders race on horses loaned by top trainers - will take place at Aintree's Old Roan Chase Meeting on October 23.

Clark and seven other amateurs will line-up alongside Mania who won the National on Auroras Encore three years ago.

“This will be my first charity race and I really don’t know what to expect," said Clark, who lives in Wistow. "I’ve ridden around Wetherby in hunter chases and point-to-pointed but this will be a totally new experience.

“Aintree is an iconic racecourse and to be riding against a National winner is very exciting," he added. "It may be a charity race but former jockey Ryan has not lost any of his competitiveness."

Mania, now 26, retired as a jockey just 18 months after winning the Grand National. He is now huntsman and joint master of the Berwickshire hunt.

“As soon as I heard about the race I wanted to be part of it," said Mania. "It will be my first since I retired and I am really looking forward to taking part.

“I’ve stopped drinking and am going out running to get fit for the race and I will be gutted if I don’t win!”

Although Mania does not yet have a ride lined-up he is concerned that he may be on a jumps horse for the charity race which takes place on the flat over 1 mile 5 furlongs.

“In the end it will be the best horse that wins," Mania insisted. "So it all depends what the other riders are on. But yeah, I’m taking this seriously!”

The other riders in the race will include bloodstock agent David Redvers, Polly Portwin, who is hunting editor for the Horse & Hound magazine, Molly Dingwall, who is Aintree’s regional business development executive for the North West, and Tessa Dollar, who is a showjumper and intermediate eventer,

Organiser Paul Dunn said: “Aintree has tremendous facilities and this is bound to be a great day out for racing and countryside enthusiasts alike. We are very grateful to the riders who will try their hand at race riding on our charity race to raise money for these great charities.”

The riders will be collecting sponsorship money in aid of The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF) charities – Casting for Recovery, Fishing 4 Schools and Falconry for Schools.

Advance tickets are £22.50 in advance or £25 on the day (children aged under 17 go free with a paying adult), and family tickets (two adults, two children 17 and under) are just £38 in advance, saving £12 on raceday prices.

Special Countryside Alliance lunch tickets – which include entry, race card, access to the Sunloch hospitality suite and a two-course lunch with champagne reception, as well as a charity auction – are now on sale for £60.