Newmarket’s British Racing School staff get on their bikes for Rory

Staff at Newmarket’s British Racing School are bidding to raise £50,000 for a fund founded in memory of a former director.

Together with invited guest riders, they are proposing to cycle between seven racecourses in seven days, starting on Sunday, May 28, and returning to the Snailwell Road school on Derby Day, Saturday June 3, a trip totalling around 450 miles.

Grant Harris, the school’s chief executive, said: “All in racing are aware of the acute shortage of stable staff.

“The BRS is training more young people than ever before and these include an increasing number of 19-year- olds plus, for whom we receive limited government funding. We decided to launch an appeal fund named after Rory MacDonald, who did so much to help establish training in our industry.”

Mr MacDonald was the chief executive of the British Racing School for 22 years and was largely responsible for the school as it is today and many of the training programmes available to those wishing to enter racing or working in racing.

He retired in June 2014 and died suddenly in November 2015 aged 66.

The charity effort was launched at Newmarket’s Craven meeting last week and will begin in Musselburgh, visiting courses including Kelso, Hexham, Redcar, Beverley, Market Rasen and Fakenham.

Those wishing to donate can do so online at: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/rorymacdonaldfundcyclechallenge/437169