William Hill to donate Great St Wilfrid race profits to MND Association
Long-standing Great St Wilfrid sponsors William Hill will donate all profits from this year’s race to the MND Association, with a minimum of £30,000 to be donated.
The 2025 renewal will be run as the William Hill MND Association Great St Wilfrid, one of five co-branded races on this Saturday’s card at Ripon, with the leading bookmaker teaming up with their official charity partner, the MND Association, for a special charity raceday.
The second race on the card, the Racing For Tamara Ripon Hornblower EBF Novice Stakes, has been dedicated to Tamara, a former William Hill colleague living with MND, whose family will be present on the day to award the trophy.
To further raise awareness, William Hill have commissioned the design of bespoke number seven saddlecloths to mark the legacy of MND Association patron and Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow. The saddlecloths will be worn by the number seven horse in three races on the day; the Racing For Tamara Ripon Hornblower, the William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup and the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid.
The raceday follows the success of William Hill's "Evoke the Stars" gala, which raised over £100k for MND in 2023.
The bookmaker’s partnership with the race started over 30 years ago, with the first William Hill-sponsored Great St Wilfrid in 1994.
Ben Wright, Director of ESG and Sustainability for William Hill, said: “We are excited to be teaming up with the MND Association this Saturday for a special raceday at Ripon.
“As one of the longest standing sponsorships in racing, Great St Wilfrid day at Ripon is always significant for William Hill, and this year holds an extra importance with all profits on the big race going to the MND Association.
“To further mark the occasion and highlight the legacy of Rob Burrow, we’ve created a bespoke saddlecloth for number seven in the field.
“We are also proud to be honouring former William Hill colleague Tamara, who is living with MND, in our first sponsored race, the Racing For Tamara Ripon Hornblower EBF Novice Stakes. We’re looking forward to welcoming her family into the winners’ enclosure to present the trophy.”
