Cervical cancer charities to benefit from new syndicate

Breeder Peter Pritchard teams up with Old Gold Racing to honour daughter Katie.

Cervical cancer charities are set to receive the support of Old Gold Racing as they syndicate a horse donated by breeder Peter Pritchard in memory of his daughter Katie.

The horse in question is the four-year-old filly Katie Sunny Dancer, bred by Pritchard out of his broodmare Earcomesannie and by the stallion Passing Glance.

Katie, who the filly is named after, was an NHS nurse manager and a mother of two who was only 37 when she lost her life to cervical cancer in June 2023.

Her family are keen to raise funds for two cervical cancer charities, The Lady Garden Foundation and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, and honour her memory in partnership with the successful Old Gold Racing syndication company.

Pritchard has offered his home-bred mare for the Katie’s Legacy Syndicate and it is hoped the initiative will raise GBP 40,000 to be split between the two charities.

Alex Hales will train the mare, who is yet to run, and the funds gathered will go towards research and support for those diagnosed with cervical cancer.

In addition to that, Old Gold Racing have pledged GBP 9,000 of the fee they earn from creating and managing the syndicate to The Myton Hospice, who cared for Katie in her final days

Peter Pritchard said: “While nothing can replace the void Katie’s passing has left behind, we want to honour her life and her story by spreading awareness about this deadly disease, which so many disregard the early signs of.

“By combining Katie’s love of horses with our ambition to make a difference, we hope Katie’s Sunny Dancer will contribute to the advancement of research into cervical cancer, so others do not have to go through Katie’s ordeal.”

Jenny Halpern Prince MBE, co-founder and chair of The Lady Garden Foundation, added: “We are so moved to have been selected as the beneficiaries of this charitable drive – especially upon hearing Katie’s tragic story.

“In the UK, around 3,100 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and it’s the most common cancer in women under 35 years old.

“It is so important that this cause gets as much funding as possible and we are incredibly grateful to Peter and his family for helping us on our mission”.

Louise Newton, trustee at Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, was equally grateful for the support, saying: “We are so very saddened to hear the devastating news that Katie lost her life to this cancer, as did my wonderful friend Jo, 25 years ago.

“We are honoured to be part of celebrating Katie’s life and we are dedicated to improving outcomes for people like her and her family. Our mission for the last 25 years has been to support and inform all of the many women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in the UK.

“Our vision for the future is of a day when cervical cancer is a thing of the past. This initiative will help us to work towards that goal.”

Anyone wishing to find out more information about the Katie’s Legacy Syndicate can head to https://oldgoldracing.com/horses/katie-sunny-dancer

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