On Saturday 11th June York Racecourse will celebrate the 51st running of its Macmillan Charity Raceday.

This raceday held on the historic Knavesmire is Macmillan’s largest fundraising event and is also the most successful charitable raceday in Britain raising over £9 million during its 50-year history for people living with cancer. 2022 will see the event return to York Racecourse in its full capacity, as last year the event and fundraising had to be scaled back because of covid restrictions and in 2020 the event did not happen due to the pandemic.

One of the feature fundraising events of the raceday is The Ride of their Lives, supported by Skybet, and is an amateur charity race and will celebrate its 10th running this year. Each of the 10 jockeys taking part have put in months of fitness training and riding out and will have the chance to ride around York’s prestigious track. All have committed to raising at least £4,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and to date collectively have raised over £60,000. Since the first race in 2012 as total of over £1.2 million has been raised via the Ride of Their Lives participants for Macmillan Cancer Support. The Ride of Their Lives will take place at 12.45pm ahead of a seven-race card with the first race off at 2pm.

Alongside the raceday and on course fundraising activities The Macmillan Silent Auction will aim to raise thousands. Over 40 generous lots have been donated and include a framed watercolour painting by Dame Judi Dench, limited edition art prints by Jim Moir (AKA Vic Reeves), a private box to see Madness at York Racecourse, plus many more. The money raised will help to fund Macmillan’s continued investment in the cancer workforce across Yorkshire, providing vital care now, as well as building a cancer care system that is fit for the future. The silent auction is live and can be viewed and bids taken at www.macmillanauction.com.

Off the track there is fun for everyone including a free vintage fair on both Friday 10 June and Saturday 11th June.

Racing fans can support this raceday and fundraising just by attending, for further information and to book tickets visit the York Racecourse website. Or, to support the jockeys taking part in the Ride of Their Lives by donating please visit their JustGiving page; https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/macmillanraceday2022

Gates Open 11.15am
Macmillan Charity Race: 12.45pm
First Race: 2pm
Tickets from: £12 per person
To book: www.yorkracecourse.co.uk

First Jump of their Lives raises £28,000
Twelve fearless fundraisers took part in a tandem skydive on Saturday 30 April and helped raise over £28,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, this incredible amount will fund a Macmillan nurse for five and a half months. The first Macmillan ‘Jump of Their Lives’ skydivers included four fearless members of the York Racecourse team: Maiti Stirling, Louise Daly, Anthea Morshead and Beth Thompson and who raised thousands for people living with cancer.