26.10.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE, EVENTS

2009 John Smith's People's Race comes under Starter's orders

Leading UK brewer Scottish & Newcastle today announced details of the 2009 John Smith’s People’s Race.  The third year of the charity amateur flat race will see wannabe jockeys attend a rigorous ‘boot-camp’ to ensure that riding ability and fitness levels meet the requirements of an expert panel which will include BBC racing presenter Clare Balding.  
 
Months of training and hard work will be rewarded when ten lucky finalists are chosen to realise a dream of a lifetime by riding at Aintree in their first competitive race in front of a huge TV audience on Grand National Day next April (Saturday, April 4, 2009). 
 
Event organisers are braced for a flood of entries from ‘Aintree hopefuls’ when the application process opens at www.peoplesrace.com on Sunday, 26 October. To be eligible for entry, riders must be 21 or over and can not have held a professional jockey’s licence or raced under rules at a race course.
 
The starting line-up in the 2008 John Smith’s People’s Race included a nail technician from Liverpool and a warehouse manager from Yorkshire but it was Clare Twemlow, a 29-year-old accountant from Newmarket who emerged as the People’s Race champion. Clare has since taken out an amateur riders licence and won her second ever race organised by the French Universities’ Racing Championship. 
 
Race applications close on December 5 and judges from Aintree and the two top racing colleges in the country - the British Racing School (Newmarket) and the Northern Racing College (Doncaster) - will select a shortlist of up to 32 riders who will be invited to attend a gruelling riding and fitness assessment.  The field will then be reduced to a maximum of 16 ‘apprentice jockeys’ who will progress to the next stage of the event where they will benefit from the additional direction and guidance of top racehorse trainers.

Former jockey and jockey coach at the British Racing School, Richard Perham, said: "This is the third year of the race and we will be pushing the riders harder and quicker this time round with the aim of moving them on from basic riding skills and into technical aspects of racing."

A key element of the John Smith’s People’s Race is fundraising and last year’s event raised around £500,000 for worthy causes. Each of the riders taking part in the race will collect £5,000 for their chosen charity and the winner will receive £50,000 for their charity plus the added incentive of a five-star trip for two to Dubai for racing’s 2010 World Cup or support from John Smith’s to continue their development as an amateur jockey.
 
Julian Thick, Managing Director, Aintree Racecourse, said:  “The John Smith’s People’s Race has, in a very short space of time, become a popular feature at the John Smith’s Grand National meeting. We are looking forward to giving 10 more members of the public the unique opportunity to ride at one of the world’s most famous racecourses on its biggest day of the year.”
 
Gareth Turner, Senior Brand Manager – Ale, at brand owners Scottish & Newcastle UK said: “The Grand National is one of the greatest events on the sporting calendar and, as the race sponsors, we are in the privileged position of being able to offer members of the public the chance to play a small but never-to-be forgotten role in Aintree’s rich history.” 
 
Entrants must be over 21 and be resident in Great Britain.  Applications for the 2009 John Smith’s People’s Race can be made at: www.peoplesrace.com
                                                      
John Smith’s Racing Facts:

•    John Smith’s has sponsored the Grand National for the last four years and have seen Hedgehunter, Numbersixvalverde, Silver Birch and Comply or Die win the great race.
•    John Smith's is racing's leading commercial sponsor. Britain's No 1 ale brand supports more than 90 jump and flat meetings at over 30 courses across the UK. 
•    People’s Race 2007 Winner -  Kevin Old, a pawnbroker aged 44 from Bournemouth. He rode Hoo La Baloo, trained by Paul Nicholls
His chosen charity was the Injured Jockeys Fund.

•    People’s Race 2008 Winner – Clare Twemlow, accountant from Newmarket. She was in training with Neil King and rode Zabeel Palace, owned by Barney Curley after she chose his charity “Direct Aid for Africa”.