Aamilah Aswat bids to follow in Khadijah Mellah's footsteps by riding a dream winner in Magnolia Cup charity race

The Markel Insurance Magnolia Cup's most famous graduate Khadijah Mellah is hoping to cheer home Riding A Dream Academy rider Aamilah Aswat in this year's running of the charity race.

The 12 women who line up at Goodwood on Thursday are all helping to raise money for this year's chosen charity, My Sisters' House, which runs two women's centres in West Sussex and aims to support any self-identifying woman to improve their welfare and wellbeing, reducing their risk of domestic abuse and supporting recovery.

Mellah brought the profile of the race to a new level when becoming the first Muslim woman to win a race in Britain, having learned to ride at London's Ebony Horse Club.

She was inspired by the experience to help found the Riding A Dream Academy and Aswat, who works for Grand National and Gold Cup-winning trainer Kim Bailey, is the first academy graduate to follow in Mellah's footsteps and ride in the Magnolia Cup.

Aswat said: “I'm really grateful to Tom Clover and the owners for letting me ride Jungle Run. I’ve had a spin on him up Warren Hill in Newmarket and got a bit of a feel for him – he’s class, such a dude and a bit of a character too and it’s good to have got to know him before the race.”

Khadijah Mellah after winning the 2019 Magnolia CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The 18-year-old has also come to the Magnolia Cup via an unusual route, learning to ride at the St James's City Fram in Gloucester, before heading to the Riding A Dream Academy, which this year has been formally integrated into the British Riding School.

Mellah said: "Riding in the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood changed my life and I can’t wait to see Aamilah compete in this year’s race. The most important thing is for her to enjoy the incredible experience – the buzz, the crowd and the race itself.

 “The whole aim when we set up the academy was to support other young people from diverse ethnic communities into racing and so it will be such a special day to see one of our former students compete on the racetrack and make that dream come true."

The Riding A Dream Academy is guaranteed one of the 12 places in the Magnolia Cup, which this year also features Australian racing presenter Lizzie Jelfs, international heptathlete Ellen Barber and businesswoman Eleanor Franchitti.

• Click here for more details on how to sponsor one of the riders and donate at JustGiving

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