Newmarket trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy to get on his bike for The Great Racing Welfare Cycle Challenge, in aid of Racing Welfare

A Newmarket trainer will be getting on his bike later this month to raise awareness and funds for town charity Racing Welfare.

Kevin Philippart De Foy, of KPF Racing, based at Induna Stables, Fordham Road, will be participating in The Great Racing Welfare Cycle Challenge on Saturday, with a team of his staff members.

The charity is close to the trainer’s heart and his staff’s as almost a year ago it provided support when a much-loved member of the yard’s team, work-rider Jordan Smith, was found dead at Egerton Stables, where the trainer used to be based. He was 29.

“It wasn’t difficult to get a team together, because of the help we’ve had from Racing Welfare they wanted to do it. I will do a bit of cycling training, but the team are fit and should do well as they’re in the gym every day and riding,” said Kevin.

As well as getting in the saddle himself, he will be joined by seven staff members for the event: Danielle Steed, Claudia Metaireau, Phoebe Edwards, Daisy Vaughan Jones, Emily Sealey, Aurelien Voileau and Katy Groome.

The Great Racing Welfare Cycle 24-hour challenge will start at noon on Saturday at the Rowley Mile Racecourse, which will be the cyclists’ base throughout the event, and will finish at noon the following day. The planned route of 32km will take in numerous historic landmarks around the town and the surrounding area.

The event first took place in its current 24-hour format in 2022 at Cheltenham racecourse, raising more than £125,000 in funds for the charity.

Gemma Waterhouse, Racing Welfare’s chief operating officer, said “We’re excited to be hosting this year’s event in Newmarket, the home of horseracing, and having a local trainer and staff members taking part alongside representatives from many other local businesses is really what it’s all about – our community coming together to support a local charity.”