Festival-winning rider Steve Jobar set to raise more than £100,000 for Motor Neurone Disease in Newbury fundraiser

Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Steve Jobar is on course to raise more than £100,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association through a silent auction and fundraising lunch at Newbury on Friday. 

Jobar, who won the 1980 Triumph Hurdle on Heighlin, was diagnosed with MND in April 2022 and set about raising funds after being shocked to find there was no cure or effective treatment for his illness. He will be on course to present the trophies following the Steve Jobar MND Handicap Hurdle on Friday and make the draw for the raffle on a new car during the lunch, set to be attended by 450 people.

A live auction will be conducted on the day by John Francome and Richard Phillips, with items including an original painting of Steve Jobar aboard Heighlin by artist Peter Curling, while a silent auction and JustGiving page have already raised more than £30,000. The funds generated will be evenly split between the MND Association's Reading and West Berkshire branch and MND research. 

Jobar has been assisted with the planning of the event by his committee, which is chaired by former national racing correspondent Jonathan Powell. 

"It's the most horrific illness," said Powell. "Steve has been robbed of his speech and can hardly swallow now, so he needs a feeding peg fitted into his stomach, which requires surgery.

"He's still very much involved in what we're doing and is looking forward to the day. He'll present the trophies and will do a draw for the car we're raffling at lunch. Some people in racing have been unbelievably generous. I have contacted everybody I've met over the years. I'd never dream of doing it for myself, but I'm more than happy to do it for Steve and what he wants to achieve.

"He was horrified to learn there was no cure, and even worse, no treatment. Seeing Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir inspired Steve to go public with his illness. We've watched Kevin Sinfield run seven ultra-marathons in seven days to raise funds. Most of us on the committee couldn't run 100 yards, let alone a marathon, but we're doing our best."

Bookmakers Grosvenor Sport are donating all winnings on the Steve Jobar MND Handicap Hurdle to his MNDA charity fund.

If you wish to contribute to Jobar's fundraising efforts for the MND Association, you can follow the link to his JustGiving page and silent auction

Read more here:

Rugby League legend Rob Burrow 'can't wait to get stuck in' as he becomes patron of charity racing club 

'I thought I could come up with an auction' - Simon Besanson raising money for cancer and motor neurone charities  

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