Following his appointment by The Jockey Club, Tommy Cooper has succeeded Colin ‘Bud’ Booth who retired from the position he had held for 20 years at the end of 2016.

Also leaving the racecourse committee were Lincolnshire racehorse trainer James Given, Jean Lucas and Phil Would. Taking their places are legal recruitment expert and solicitor Jeremy Bradbeer, estate agent Michael Tuck and Lincoln businesswoman Biddy Dudgeon.

Tommy Cooper, a chartered surveyor and land agent, joined the Lincolnshire racecourse’s committee a year ago and is a well-known figure in the sport, acting as a racecourse steward at several East Midlands tracks, including Market Rasen’s sister racecourses at Nottingham and Huntingdon.

“Racing has always been in my blood - and both my parents were racecourse stewards,” he said.

“My earliest memories are of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1963 won by Only For Life and bunking off school with my father to see Royal Palace win the 1968 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in a photo finish from Taj Dewan.

“My best Market Rasen memory to date is probably ‘Rasen Rocks’ with Sir Tom Jones in August 2015 - an incredible night with thousands of spectators enjoying themselves. It was my first experience of an open-air concert.

“I think Market Rasen Racecourse is a very friendly place with a good fair track and it is terrific that we get such support from so many top-class trainers who make the journey to Lincolnshire and all the general public who come and love the place.

“It’s a happy racecourse with a great team running it. It was wonderful to secure a Gold Standard award from the Racehorse Owners Association in 2016 and my hope for this year is to make it even better and to have two outstanding pop concerts – the first of which is Olly Murs on Ladies’ Day, Friday, 2nd June, with the second artist to be announced soon. The new County Racedays that we have launched are a terrific initiative and I am sure they will capture the imaginations of our midweek visitors.”