A FORMER Manchester City footballer is among the 22 jockeys taking part in the 35th running of the annual charity race in aid of the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund next Saturday.

Born in Liverpool, Chris Shuker made 402 appearances in a 14-year career as a midfielder in English football and this included five games for Manchester City. Now coaching and a competitive cyclist, he has been riding out for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Also representing Britain in the charity race will be Patrick Chesters. Making his second appearance in the race, Patrick is the racing director of (appropriately) Chester Racecourse.

Adding to the international flavour will be Maxime de Chambord and Ophelie Stroumza. Both are from France and both are students on the Irish National Stud’s management training course. Mikael de Santane Andrade will represent Brazil and rides out at Oliver McKiernan’s yard.

Paul Burns and Sophie Connor are from Down and Antrim respectively and both have vast experience from working with horses. Owen Byrne and his son David will share a very unique honour, when they both tog out for the race. Both are living in Wexford, where they are hugely involved in the Bree Hunt.

Kildare will have three GAA enthusiasts taking part. Alice Murphy rides out with Ross O’Sullivan and plays for her local club, Ballymore. Anna Nangle is a fifth year student from the Curragh, where she rides out with Conor O’Dwyer and she also plays for Suncroft GAA. Cormac McEvoy is a stallion man at Derrinstown Stud and was involved with the Celbridge team who won the men’s senior football championship in 2008.

The youngest rider in this year’s race is Cork’s Fionn Budds, who has just turned 17. He was inspired by his sister Ella, who took part last year. The veteran in this year’s race is also from Cork, Ken Murphy, who runs a livery yard. Also from Cork is Ciara O’Sullivan, who is in her final phase of training at the Garda training college.

Emma Fitzgerald and Kate O’Leary are both from Limerick and both ride out for Enda Bolger. Megan Hassett will represent Tipperary, where she works with her father, Martin. Neil Durcan is from Wicklow and is part of the well-known Durcan racing family and will be having his second ride in the race. Martin McCullagh is from Louth and will be riding for the Peter Cluskey yard. From Dublin is Lydia Dodds, who took part in the Corinthian Challenge last year and she rides out at the Shark Hanlon yard in Carlow.

Also from Dublin is kidney transplant recipient Dave Bennett. Dave is the master of the Fingal Hunt and was on dialysis for five years before receiving a kidney in 2022. The fourth kidney transplant recipient to take part in the race, Dave will be showcasing the success of organ donation.

The race was established in 1990 by successful kidney transplant recipient James Nolan from Kilcullen. His initiative has now raised over €2 million for kidney research and support programmes.

James said: “Great credit is due to all the team at Punchestown who make our raceday so special, as well as all the people at IHRB, HRI and RACE. We are very grateful to all the owners and trainers, who have given continued support to our race for the past 34 years.” He added that the main message behind the charity race is best described by the race title: “Have the conversation - say ‘yes’ to organ donation”.

PKRF PUNCHESTOWN CHARITY RACE JOCKEYS 2026

Ciara O’Sullivan, Megan Hassett, Maxime de Chambord, Alice Murphy, Emma Fitzgerald, Dave Bennett, Lydia Dodd, Ken Murphy, Martin McCullagh, Neil Durcan, Paul Burns, Patrick James Chesters, Owen Byrne, David Byrne, Christopher Shuker, Sophie Connor, Ophelie Stroumza, Fionn Budds, Kate O’Leary, Cormac McEvoy, Anna Nangle, Mikael de Santane Andrade.