July 2024: Goodwood Racecourse is thrilled to unveil fashion brand Lisou as the silks designer for the 13th running of the Markel Magnolia Cup. Lisou was founded by fashion designer, Rene Moshi Macdonald, in order to combine some of the vibrant colour clashes of her homeland Tanzania with Rene’s own elegant designs and inject some joy into the wardrobes of women across the UK.
Rene has created four new exclusive prints for the day including a silk centred on this year’s charity, My Sister’s House. The second print is a celebration of the Markel Magnolia Cup itself, with magnolias and contrasting sleeves imbued with the Lisou aesthetic. The third print reflects both the geography and heritage of Goodwood, and the final silk is inspired by Markel who are the proud supporters of this renowned charity event. Each of these silks will reveal a secret or two, as every one of Rene’s prints has a story to tell.
Rene and the Lisou DNA lives throughout each of the bespoke designs. Drawing on both her Tanzanian heritage and London design influence, every Lisou print has been lovingly crafted and is closely connected to Rene. A former stylist, avid vintage collector and self-confessed ‘bold dresser’ herself, Rene has a unique way of combining unexpected colours and creating vibrant prints, which makes each of her pieces special and stand out.
The Markel Magnolia Cup was first run in 2011 to raise money for women-focused charities. Each year it brings together 12 women, with varying degrees of riding experience, who are tasked with setting aside their day jobs to become jockeys for the occasion, and race at the world’s most beautiful racecourse.
My Sisters’ House is the official charity for the 13th running of the 2024 Markel Magnolia Cup. The charity race will take place on Ladies Day, Thursday 1 August, at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and has raised over £2.4 million for charity since its inception.
The race is run over five-and-a-half-furlongs down Goodwood’s straight in front of a crowd of approximately 25,000; for many of the riders this is the first time they have ever raced on an actual racecourse.
Tickets, dining and hospitality are on sale for the Qatar Goodwood Festival, visit Goodwood.com or call 01243 755055 to find out more.
[ENDS]
Editor’s Notes:
Social Media:
Official hashtags: #MarkelMagnoliaCup #QGF #GoodwoodRaces
To follow the riders as they train for the Markel Magnolia Cup, please visit Goodwood Racecourse’s social media channels.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/goodwoodracecourse
Twitter: www.twitter.com/goodwood_races
Instagram: https://instagram.com/goodwood_races
About the Markel Magnolia Cup presented by Markel
On Thursday, 1 August, 12 dedicated amateur jockeys will ride in the Markel Magnolia Cup following months of intensive training.
In 2019, the race captured the eyes of the world when Khadijah Mellah galloped to glory up Goodwood’s home straight. Mellah was 18 years old when she won in spectacular style just months after sitting on a horse for the first time at the Ebony Horse Club, a club that aims to transform young lives through horses in south London’s most disadvantaged communities.
Previous jockeys have included doctors, Olympians, CEOs, journalists, students, models, and presenters, among them Edie Campbell, Sara Cox, Rosie Tapner, and Vogue Williams.
Fundraising takes place through race and horse sponsorship, as well as at the Regency Ball, a stunning themed evening held at Goodwood House after the Markel Magnolia Cup.
About Markel
We are Markel, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), we operate the Markel Specialty, Markel International, and Markel Global Reinsurance divisions, as well as State National, our portfolio protection and program services operations, and Nephila, our insurance-linked securities operations. Our broad array of capabilities and expertise allow us to create intelligent solutions for the most complex risk management needs. However, it is our people – and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients – that differentiates us worldwide.
About My Sisters’ House
Helping women thrive, not just survive. My Sisters’ House is a women’s centre operating across the Arun and Chichester Districts working with women to improve their welfare and wellbeing, reduce their risk of domestic abuse and support recovery, and help them reach their goals for employment, education or training.
Founded in 2014, the charity supports any self-identifying women with multiple disadvantages, offering wrap-around support, specialising in domestic abuse, wellbeing and welfare. In 2015 My Sisters’ House supported 28 clients, but by 2023 this increased dramatically to 1756 new clients (on top of existing ones), showing the escalation of need within the West Sussex community.
With a mission to help women “thrive, not just survive,” My Sisters’ House provides trauma-informed, holistic support in responsive, women’s-only spaces. With two hubs in the heart of the local communities of Chichester and Bognor Regis, the highly-trained team acts as ‘the net-beneath-the-net’, being the consistent, non-judgemental advocate for women with multiple and complex needs. For more information, please visit: www.mysistershouse.info
About the Qatar Goodwood Festival:
The Qatar Goodwood Festival is one of the undisputed highlights of the British flat racing season.
Affectionately known as ‘Glorious Goodwood,’ the world-famous five-day festival is a sporting and social occasion like no other, unrivalled style, superb racing, and hospitality experiences to savour mean it’s not to be missed.
The 2024 event takes place from Tuesday 30 July to Saturday 3 August. The week is headed by three Group 1 races, including the £500,000 Qatar Goodwood Cup, the £1 million Qatar Sussex Stakes, and the £600,000 Qatar Nassau Stakes.
Tickets, dining, and hospitality are now on sale for the Qatar Goodwood Festival. Visit Goodwood.com or call 01243 755055 to find out more.
For editorial enquiries please contact:
Emma Chamings, Goodwood Racecourse Press Office; emma@jsccomms.co.uk
