Amateur jockeys raise more than £20,000 for Air Ambulance

TWELVE amateur jockeys raised at total of £20,700 for the Air Ambulance Service at Warwick’s Ardencote Think Pink Ladies day on Wednesday, writes David Hucker.

This was the third meeting of the course’s May Racing Carnival, featuring a seven-race card, together with the Jockey Club Challenge Charity Race, supported by Concept Furniture.

With Topolski unable to run and Morestead getting loose before the start, ten horses tackled the one mile and five furlong trip and it was Dove Mountain, trained in Ireland by Gordon Elliott, who led all the way in the hands of Molly Dingwall, who is the north-west regional business development executive for Jockey Club Racecourses.

Best of the Warwickshire-trained horses was Boss Des Mottes from the Dan Skelton stable, who finished runner-up for rider Ella Mahon. Course favourite Dormouse, trained at Wilmcote by Anabel Murphy and ridden by Warwick’s business development executive Sheryl Caswell, came in fifth.

Sponsored by Pertemps Network and Rybrook Motors, Sheryl won a bottle of champagne for the individual rider raising the most money for the charity with £5,600.

Jackfield, ridden by Hollie Rooney, who is head girl at the Great Alne stable of Robin Dickin, finished just behind Dormouse in sixth. After a slow start, the Laura Hurley trained Barra Rotha, who is more used to running in long-distance jumps races, couldn’t make up enough ground, but gave Air Ambulance paramedic Philippa Gibbs an afternoon to remember.

“The inaugural May Carnival has been a great success and Ladies Day brought our season to a perfect close” said general manager Andre Klein.

“A big thank-you goes to all the riders in our charity race, as well as to the owners, trainers and sponsors who helped us raise so much money for a very worthy cause.”