Newmarket St Louis Catholic Academy teacher Kathryn Feehan honoured with sponsored horse race after 15 years of service to school

A teacher a Newmarket school, who was leaving after 15 years, got one of the biggest cheers of the night at the July Course on Friday after her pupils and their parents arranged for a race to be sponsored in her name.

Kathryn Feehan, who lives in Kirtling, said farewell to St Louis Catholic Academy, in Fordham Road, this week and to celebrate her hard work and dedication to her pupils over the years grateful parents had clubbed together to give her a leaving gift with a difference.

Teaching colleagues, 38 of her Year 6 pupils, and their parents, joined Mrs Feehan in a hospitality pavilion at the July Course to enjoy the racing and the show by chart-topping Irish band The Script.

And highlight of the evening for the party was being trackside to watch the Thank You Mrs Feehan Handicap Stakes before cheering their approval as Mrs Feehan made her way into the winners’ enclosure to make the presentation to winning jockey David Egan.

Afterwards, Mrs Feehan, was presented with a bouquet and went to the winning connections’ suite for a glass of Champagne and to watch her race back with members of the Newmarket Racecourses committee.

“The whole evening has been fabulous. It’s been wonderful to have all the children here,” she said. “We all feel like we’re part of a community and for them to be part of this is just brilliant. Giving children experiences like this is something they won’t forget and a fantastic gesture from the Jockey Club and the team at Newmarket.

“When you’re a teacher you grow so fond of your kids and it’s lovely that they grow fond of us as well. We’ll all come away from here remembering what a fantastic night we had.”

Margo Walsh, whose son Jack has spent this year in Mrs Feehan’s class, works at Newmarket Racecourses for The Jockey Club as operations and community project manager and helped to organise the sponsorship of the race.

“Mrs Feehan has been such an amazing teacher and an incredible support to so many students in her 15 years at St Louis and we wanted to do something special for her to say thank you,” she said.

“It was fantastic to have all the children there by the winner’s enclosure to give her a huge cheer when she did the presentation. Like The Jockey Club, the school plays a big part in the local community and this was our way of showing our appreciation while doing something a bit different. Everyone will miss her.”