National winners to ride in Bob Champion Aintree Legends race
Former Grand National-winning jockeys will be returning to the famous Aintree turf next April for a charity race in aid of The Bob Champion Cancer Trust.
Bob Champion, Graham Thorner, Ben De Haan, Hywel Davies, Brendan Powell, Jimmy Frost, Marcus Armytage, Carl Llewellyn, Tony Dobbin and Jim Cullotty will ride in the Flat race.
They will be joined by eight-times champion jockey Peter Scudamore and 10-times Irish champion Charlie Swan.
The Bob Champion Cancer Trust was founded in 1983 and has so far raised £12m for research into testicular and prostate cancers.
“The 1981 Grand National was a remarkable day, not just for me, but for all of those around the world who gained hope from my victory in their personal battles against cancer,” said Mr Champion who famously won on Aldaniti.
“Thirty years on, and with the money this race raises, I want to continue to reduce the odds against cancer.”
The race will be the first on the card on John Smith’s Grand National Day, Saturday, 9 April.
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Julian Thick, managing director of Aintree, added: “Bob’s story is inextricably linked to the Grand National and we are honoured to be able to help his fantastic fund-raising with what should be an interesting race.”
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.