HARRY WHITTINGTON PRE-TRAINING TO TACKLE ULTRA MARATHON FOR RACING WELFARE

Former Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winning trainer Harry Whittington and team members Richard Cosgrave and Tomos Phillips are taking on the famous ‘Race to the Stones’ challenge, which follows the historic Ridgeway path across challenging terrain and steep hills. While the official route is 50km from Lewknor to Avebury, Team Whittington are adding on an additional 7km to finish at Harry’s Hill Barn Stables.

Asked how it came about, Harry said: “The organiser got in touch in February to see if they could use our field as a pit stop. I got geared up watching videos on Youtube and thought it would be an awesome challenge do – I love my running and mentioned it to the lads in the team to see if they’d be up for it, Richard is part of a running club and has done the marathon. So very quickly both he and Tomos said they would do it 100%!”

Typically, the challenge is completed across the course of two days, but Harry and team are hoping to conquer the route in just a day. Harry admitted: “It’s going to be hardcore, but we’ve got our pit stops planned. Who knows, next year we might even go for the time – I’m a sucker for punishment!”

The team were unanimous in their choice of chosen charity. Harry said: “Racing Welfare is a fantastic charity who do a huge amount for people in the industry – they helped me when I was going through difficult times when training. This unique charity has not only helped support me but also a number of my members of staff throughout the years and it is my way of giving something back. We hope that by doing this we can raise a substantial amount of money for them.”

Richard Cosgrave also completed the TCS London Marathon earlier this year for Racing Welfare. Having grown up in horseracing, he left his hometown in Northern

Ireland to pursue a career on the flat and over jumps. He said: “My career was short lived when I was unfortunate enough to have sustained a fall that resulted in a broken neck. With the support of the IJF and Racing Welfare, I’ve been extremely lucky to continue in this physically and mentally demanding industry. This would never have been made available without the support of Racing Welfare, the guidance, and dedication of this charity has enabled me to continue through the challenges of my recovery and more. A charity very close to my heart, and one that supports each and every dedicated individual in racing.”

To support Harry, Richard and Tomos in this ultimate test of stamina and endurance, you can sponsor them via their JustGiving page here.