THIS year’s champion flat jockey has donated a third of his prize money to the Malton Fire Disaster Fund.

The fund was set up in the wake of the deaths of apprentice jockeys Jamie Kyne, 18, and Jan Wilson, 19, in a flat fire at Norton on September 5.

The newly-crowned 2009 champion Flat jockey, Ryan Moore, has now donated £3,232 of his winnings to the disaster fund. He has also given the same amount to the Injured Jockeys Fund and has kept the same amount for himself. The fund now stands at in excess of £60,000.

Mr Moore, 26, said: “Although I am obviously delighted to have become champion Flat jockey for the third time, 2009 is a year that jockeys will remember for the terrible loss of apprentices Jan Wilson and Jamie Kyne.”

Kevin Darley, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, said: “To lose two young people aged 18 and 19 that were clearly going to dedicate their lives to a sport that we all have a passion for, it’s absolutely devastating.”

The fire, which police are treating as arson, took hold at the flats at Buckrose Court in Norton in the early hours of September 5.

At the time of the fire, residents of Buckrose Court described how they had to jump from windows and climbed down drainpipes to escape the flames, which quickly took hold of the building. The victims were discovered in a flat on the second floor of the property.

A 37-year-old man was arrested later the same day in connection with the deaths but he has since been released from police bail and the police inquiry is ongoing. A memorial fund has since been set up in the name of Jan Wilson to allow other youngsters in the Angus area of Scotland – where Jan grew up – and in Yorkshire get involved in horseracing.