Charity page set up for popular Newmarket figure Lucy Horan doubles its target in under 24 hours

A GoFundMe page set up for a 28-year-old bloodstock insurer and work-rider in Newmarket who has been diagnosed with breast cancer has already more than doubled its target figure in less than 24 hours.

Lucy Horan, who works for Weatherbys Hamilton and has ridden out for the likes of James Ferguson and Charlie Fellowes in the past year, was recently diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer for which she is shortly to begin chemotherapy.

However, in order for her to get a groundbreaking vaccine in Germany on Tuesday (March 5), she had to raise £25,000 to help fund the treatment.

Thanks to a host of donations kicked off by Fellowes, the page has already received more than £57,000 after being launched on Friday morning.

Horan finished second in the Ride Of Their Lives charity race at York two years ago, raising more than £5,000 for cancer charity Macmillan.

On Thursday, Horan will begin an intense course of chemotherapy, but before that she is set to travel to Germany on Tuesday to receive her life-saving vaccine.

She said: “I have no words for what happened on Friday as it all happened so quickly. I only got the go ahead from Germany on 8.30am to say it would be clinically possible to have this vaccine. I then went into a fertility clinic to have my eggs frozen and I came out two hours later and there was suddenly £10,000 in this GoFundMe page. I just cried my eyes out.” 

She added: “The money just kept going up and up. I’m in awe of our industry. I don’t have the words to thank people enough. Within three hours it had over £20,000 and to have over £50,000 is unbelievable. Any additional funds that are raised will either go to people in a similar position who haven’t the funds or be distributed to racing charities.”

Horan is set to kick off a busy few days on Monday and said: “I’m flying out to Germany on Monday afternoon and I’m then back on Wednesday to begin my chemo at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.”

Horan has worked for Weatherbys Hamilton for seven years and paid tribute to the company for their help during that time.

She added: “I can’t thank Weatherbys Hamilton enough. They have been the most supportive people in the world and have just been amazing all through this.“

Charles Hamilton, chairman of Weatherbys Hamilton, said: "In the space of just a few weeks Lucy has had her whole world turned upside down and to witness how she has dealt with such a bewildering sequence of events has been inspiring beyond words. Lucy’s courage, openness and complete lack of self pity are an example to all of us but are no surprise to those who know and love her."

Donations can be made here.