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THIRSK Racecourse hosts a stable staff charity race on Friday, July 26, in support of the Injured Jockeys Fund and Graham Lee.
And Michael Dods Racing is delighted that a member of the Denton Hall team, Phil Thomas (pictured), will be taking part.
The Graham Lee IJF Fund Stable Staff Stakes, sponsored by Sky Bet, sees 10 volunteers from racing yards compete in a mile ‘hands and heels’ race.
The riders will be ‘led up’ by professional jockeys, with all participants having agreed to meet the minimum sponsorship obligation of £500.
Phil has so far raised around £900 and is hoping to top the £1,000 mark by the time the race is under orders.
The yard has given him the ride on Masterpainter, owned by the Dods Racing Club, and a previous winner at Thirsk. The horse will be led up by Connor Beasley, who is approaching 50 winners for the season.
Phil said: "I'm honoured to be taking part for such a good cause. I have the utmost respect for Graham Lee as a rider and a person, and it's such a great initiative."
Graham rode with great success under both codes, winning the 2004 Grand National on Amberleigh House and the 2015 Gold Cup at Ascot on Trip To Paris. The 48-year-old was left with life-changing injuries after a fall at Newcastle in November.
Race organiser Adele Mulrennan said: “We did this a few years ago before lockdown, raising funds for Racing Welfare, and it was a great success. It was a chance for the jockeys to show their appreciation for stable staff, so we came up with the idea of swapping roles, with stable staff riding in the race and jockeys leading them up. It was a huge hit and the jockeys got right behind it. Then lockdown hit and we never got a chance to do it again.
“I have been chatting to a few jockeys this year, who said they have not had a chance to get behind any of the fundraising for Graham Lee. They were keen to do something, so I said why don’t we do this again, except this time raising funds for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Graham.”
Michael Dods said: "It's been heart-warming to see how the racing community has rallied round Graham. He rode for us and we were keen to play our part in the charity race. Phil's got bags of experience and, hopefully, Masterpainter will give him a good spin."
Erin Boswell, Thirsk’s General Commercial Manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to host this race at Thirsk. Graham is a true inspiration to us all and was a regular rider with us here before his accident. It is amazing how strong the community spirit is in racing, especially Yorkshire, and we’re very proud to play out part in it.”
A full list of riders and their mounts can be found below, with background information and sponsorship links available here. To support Phil, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/philip-thomas-1716834850286
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