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Gay Kelleway and Sprowston Boy's epic Ascot triumph to be brought to life on stage

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Newmarket correspondent
Gay Kelleway: made history in
Gay Kelleway: made history in 1987 by becoming the first woman to ride a winner at Royal AscotCredit: Mark Cranham

The National Horseracing Museum, situated at Palace House in the heart of Newmarket, already provides a rich and varied range of attractions for visitors, and they are soon to be complemented by a play about one of the most groundbreaking races in the sport.

Horse Play recounts the tale of Gay Kelleway's win on Sprowston Boy in the Queen Alexandra Stakes in 1987 when she became the first woman to ride a winner at Royal Ascot. It will open shortly in East Anglia and, after dates throughout Norfolk and Suffolk, will pass the finishing line at the National Horseracing Museum on November 25.

The play, billed as a "feelgood story of a successful underdog", was written by Katie-anna Whiting, the granddaughter of Sprowston Boy’s part-owner Geoff Whiting and one of the two actors on stage.

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