I won £2.7M lotto prize & got a race horse but I should have paid more attention to his name – it came crashing down
A COUPLE who won a £2.7million lottery prize splashed the cash on a race horse – but it proved to be a mistake
Racing-obsessed Elaine and Derek Thompson won the jackpot prize and decided to visit 59 different race courses across the country.
They also invested in a horse of their own – and had high hopes for it’s success.
But the horse was swiftly given the nickname Sick Note, because it developed a cough before each race meeting and when it did get to run, it never won.
Not defeated by their losses, the couple went on to buy Richmond Lady, which did win a race at Exeter racecourse.
Elaine said: “Owning race horses is a pretty pricey business, there are a lot of costs involved.
“One horse, a beautiful grey named Balfour Lady, needed a lot of shoes – I would say she had more shoes than Imelda Marcos whilst we owned her!
“It was lots of fun but we eventually decided it was probably best to focus on punters and stick to our placepots.”
Elaine and Derek started travelling to race meetings across the UK as soon as they won their prize.
They aimed to visit every single racecourse in the UK – all 59 of them
The horse racing fanatics, from Newcastle, set themselves a challenge… to visit every single racecourse in the UK – all 59 of them.
They finally passed the finishing post 29 years after their initial win by visiting Ludlow Racecourse in Shropshire, earlier this week – the last racecourse on their list.
Derek said: “We have always loved horse racing, it’s such a great atmosphere and over the years I have learned which trainers to follow.
“We decided after our National Lottery win to travel the UK and visit every race course in the country. Originally there were 61 but two have closed down over the years.
“Ludlow is our 59th and final race course, we have definitely saved a lovely course for last!”
The main race of the day at the historic Ludlow Racecourse was ‘The Elaine and Derek Thompson Celebration Chase’, named after the couple.
Elaine and Derek sponsored the race and were given the opportunity to present the winning jockey and the best turned out horse with their prizes.
Elaine said: “Finishing our tour of the 59 racecourses at Ludlow is really special.
“It is such a fabulous racecourse – small and intimate – which is what we love.
“We really feel a part of the action, I don’t think we have ever visited such a friendly racecourse. We will definitely be back!”
Diane Thomas, assistant manager at Ludlow Racecourse, added: “What a day to celebrate!
“We were delighted to welcome Elaine and Derek to Ludlow and feel honoured that, as their 59th racecourse visit, we were able to make it so special for them.”