Legendary jockey Sir AP McCoy will be in Carlisle next week – with promoter Ian Milburn admitting it will be the biggest sporting dinner he has organised.

Milburn, of IM Events, will welcome the 20-time champion jockey to the Shepherds Inn on Thursday evening.

Northern Irishman McCoy enjoyed a record-breaking career and was the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first horse rider to win the award.

“I think we will have around 340 in there at the Shepherds,” Milburn said.

“It is probably the biggest sports dinner I have done.

"We had the event with Frank Bruno recently and the Paul Gascoigne night last year, which was massive. But that was at the Sands, so there was no food then.”

Horse racing fans from across the UK are expected to come to Cumbria for the evening with McCoy.

Milburn added: “People are coming from Dumfries, Lockerbie and there is a guy coming from Belfast. He has taken a VIP ticket, so he is obviously a big fan.”

Meanwhile, McCoy will also support a challenge being undertaken by Carlisle runner John Reay to run seven marathons in seven days.

Reay will be attempting the challenge on racecourses across the UK next month, starting at Newcastle on March 7 and ending at Stratford on March 13, in another event organised by Milburn.

The challenge will help raise funds for The Injured Jockeys Fund and the Great North Air Ambulance and McCoy, an ambassador for William Hill, will give the challenge his backing next week.

Milburn said: “His plan is to do each marathon in under four hours.

"He is a little bit brave, I think. AP McCoy is an ambassador for William Hill. It just fell into place perfectly.

“We booked AP for the event a while ago [but] it just all fits in quite nicely.”

Details on the marathon challenge can be found at www.7in7challenge.org.