A charity that supports the emotional wellbeing of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families is benefiting from the successes of a 7-year-old racemare and a British racing bonus scheme.
Molly Ollys Wishes, whose seasonal winnings could grow to over £100,000 on Sunday (February 28), has allowed her owners to continue to support the charity closest to their hearts during a time when they have been forced to cancel other fundraising activities.
The daughter of Black Sam Bellamy has so far won over £65,000 in prize money this season. This total has been boosted heavily by the Great British Bonus, the scheme that offers connections of horses bred in Britain the chance to take home multiple bonuses of up to £20,000 per win in eligible races. £40,000 of Molly Ollys Wishes’ winnings this season have been awarded via the bonus scheme.
Warwickshire-based Dean and Elaine Pugh bred her themselves and named her after the charity. Via Dean Pugh’s company, West Mercia Fork Trucks, the couple have been vital benefactors of Molly Olly’s Wishes since it was founded in 2011 by their friends Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw. The Ollerenshaws’ daughter, Molly, was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour aged 3 and, despite a long and brave fight, died five years later.
West Mercia Fork Trucks is also a notable supporter of Warwick Racecourse, sponsoring at the track in the English Midlands on a regular basis.
Molly Ollys Wishes has so far won over £65,000 in prize money this season. This total has been boosted heavily by the Great British Bonus, the scheme that offers connections of horses bred in Britain the chance to take home multiple bonuses of up to £20,000 per win in eligible races. £40,000 of Molly Ollys Wishes’ winnings this season have been awarded via the bonus scheme.
The mare, who is trained by Dan Skelton with his brother Harry her regular rider, has been declared to run again on Sunday in the Grade 2 Loch Lomond Whiskies National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell Racecourse. She will face five rivals, including Grade 1 winners Cornerstone Lad and Reserve Tank.
If she were to win for the fourth consecutive time, Molly Ollys Wishes would earn a further £28,475 in race prize money, plus a £10,000 Great British Bonus. This would take her prize haul since October 22 to over £100,000, enabling the Pughs to further support their chosen charity.
Dean Pugh told Great British Racing International, “The mare was named after the charity originally with a view to giving awareness to the charity’s name, which we feel is certainly happening with the levels that she is reaching. What we didn’t realise was that we’d have a potential little superstar on our hands.
“We have a ball every year, which we couldn’t last November for the first time because of Covid, and it normally makes about £80,000, every penny of which goes into the pot for the terminally ill children. I’ve also run the Molly Olly Golf Day for the last nine years and we tend to make about £25,000 from that day.
“As a company, we support the charity financially. We give every month anyway, but this year Molly Ollys Wishes has had such a great year that we’ll see what she’s won come April and do a one-off donation to the charity based on her winnings. Obviously, the Great British Bonus scheme has been fantastic for us in terms of bonus prize money.”
Great British Bonus scheme manager Grant Prichard-Gordon said, “The Great British Bonus has already paid out more than £1.65 million in bonuses and is on track to hit £2 million within a year of launching. This story shows the huge impact the scheme has had, not only on the industry, but on individuals, at an otherwise dark time.
“A scheme like this has never been more needed and will continue to support the British industry, offering hope as we make our way through a third national lockdown.”