Lottery to launch at Warwick

Created by the charity Racing Welfare, the new lottery will be marketed initially with Jockey Club Racecourses, of which Warwick is a member.

It will raise much-needed funds towards Racing Welfare’s mission to help any one of the 70,000 people who currently work or have worked in racing and who might be in need. The charity has a turnover of £1.7m. but, in the last two years, has seen a 34 per cent rise in demand for its services coupled with an 11 per cent fall in income.

Announcing the initiative, Racing Welfare’s chief executive Cedric Burton said: “This lottery has the potential to transform the funding of Racing Welfare.

“From the outset, we will have potentially 1.2 million players from the Jockey Club e-newsletter and 600,000 from Jockey Club Racecourses ticketing sales.”

In addition to cash prizes, there will be special promotion draws for racing prizes.

The initial carrot is a VIP package for two people to the John Smith’s Grand National, including lunch in the chairman’s box, a morning course walk with trainer David Pipe and presentation of the winning cheque.

Warwick managing director Huw Williams welcomed the venture, saying: “We are delighted that Racing Welfare have chosen Warwick to launch the lottery.

“This is a great initiative which we will support all the way and I hope the racing public gets behind it. The prizes on offer at the Grand National are once in a lifetime opportunities for racing enthusiasts.”

Entry to the lottery, which has its first draw on April 1, is £1 a week.