Ella Dettori to take part in Magnolia Cup at Goodwood

LONDON: Ella Dettori is one of 12 women set to contest the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood this year.

The charity race over five and a half furlongs will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on July 29 and will be run in support of UK charity Smart Works, which assists unemployed women to harness their confidence ahead of a job interview.

Bella Freud will be designing the jockey silks for the event, which is backed by Markel.

Kate Stephens, Smart Works CEO, said: “Smart Works and Goodwood share a mission to support and empower women across the UK. That is why we’re honoured to have been chosen as the 2021 Magnolia Cup charity partner.

“In the last year the number of women facing unemployment has risen sharply and Smart Works has never been more needed. Funding for our service will help women across the UK find the confidence to succeed at a crucial moment, get the job and transform their lives.”

Dettori, daughter of the world-renowned Frankie Dettori, is one of the dozen riders set to be in action on the Sussex Downs, with Thea Gosden-Hood, daughter of Dettori’s long-time retained trainer John Gosden, also in the line-up.

The Magnolia Cup has raised over £1.6 million and captured the public’s imagination when last contested in 2019, as 18-year-old Khadijah Mellah triumphed having learnt to ride at the Ebony Horse Club, which aims to transform young lives through horses in south London’s most disadvantaged communities.