2018 Magnolia Cup Riders Announced

Run at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, (known affectionately as ‘Glorious Goodwood’), on Ladies’ Day, August 2, the Magnolia Cup is now in its eighth year and has raised over £1.2million for a number of charities since its inception. The race itself is run over five-and-a-half-furlongs down Goodwood’s straight in front of a capacity crowd of 25,000 and the riders will need nerves of steel, especially as most of those taking part had never set foot in a racing yard before their training started.

For the first time this year, each rider will wear a bespoke jockey silk designed exclusively for the Magnolia Cup by Iranian/Swedish fashion designer and women’s rights activist Morvarid Sahafi. Morvarid’s designs for her brand, Morv London, reflect female empowerment and are inspired by the Suffragette movement, in fitting support of the values of the Magnolia Cup. 

This year, the Magnolia Cup will support Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Its pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives and has been at the heart of progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. The charity is continuing to tackle women’s cancers on all fronts – helping to prevent and improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and gynaecological cancers.

Fundraising takes place through race and horse sponsorship, as well as at the Regency Ball, a stunning Regency-themed banquet and party held at Goodwood House the evening after the Magnolia Cup.

This year’s inspiring riders will be:

Lady Alice Manners – Sunday Telegraph Columnist and Personal Shopper

Dr Amanda Cross – Cancer Researcher at Imperial College London, funded by Cancer Research UK

Camilla Hickish – Trainee Doctor and Cancer Survivor

Emily Baxendale – Founder and Creative Director, Emily-London milliners

Holly Thomson (Hollie-Ella) – Director & Editor of In The Country Magazine & Blog

Melissa Margolis – Assistant Program Director of PDP (Prostitution Diversion Program), Los Angeles, Ca.

Rosie Tapner – British Fashion Model and Student at Oxford Brookes University

Sarah Cook – Sport Secretary, Daily Mirror & Sunday Mirror

Shadi Halliwell – Chief Marketing Officer, Three

Lady Tatiana Mountbatten – Professional Dressage Rider and Tech Start-Up Founder

Vicki Smith – Director of Absolute Aesthetics/The Whiteley Clinic

Victoria Gray – Lifestyle Director, Sunday Express S Magazine

Tickets for the 2018 Qatar Goodwood Festival are now on sale. Book before 30 April to get the best price.

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