BURWELL businessman Simon Gibson has financed a new race to be held at the famous July Course in Newmarket.

The Alzheimer’s Research UK Handicap Stakes will be staged annually at the course until 2015, with the first running set to take place on Saturday at 5.55pm.

Mr Gibson, who lives in Burwell, is a director of financial planning specialists Atkinson Bolton Consulting and his family has enjoyed strong links with and horse racing for many generations.

He began supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK after a close family member was diagnosed with dementia three years ago. Last year Simon secured the charity a grant of £6,100 from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation – the charitable arm of an international association representing the world’s top 40,000 financial advisors.

Simon said: “I believe that raising awareness, raising money and having fun can go hand in hand and as I come from a family steeped in racing, I felt that sponsoring a race made perfect sense.”

To book tickets to support Alzheimer’s Research UK at the July Course on Saturday visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call 08445 793010.