A book about Wincanton Racecourse’s fascinating 150 year history has helped raise £7500 for Racing Welfare, a registered charity that supports the workforce of the British Racing Industry. 

Representatives from Racing Welfare, chairman Joey Newton and chief executive Dawn Goodfellow, were on hand to accept the cheque at the track’s prestigious Betway Kingwell Hurdle Day on Saturday from racecourse Chairman Jo Hepburn who said: "I have to thank John Sunnucks, Wincanton Director, for the initial idea of producing a book in celebration of our first 150 years of racing at Wincanton and George Bingham for his brilliance in delivering it.  It captures perfectly Wincanton Racecourse as the local country course it still is 150 years on.   Without the enormous support from our local owners, trainers, sponsors and racegoers whose generous donations enabled us to cover costs of production we would not have been able to donate £7,500 to Racing Welfare. I thank each and every one of them."

Penned by George Bingham with stunning illustrations by Michelle McCullagh, ‘The First 150 Years of Wincanton Racecourse’ the 60-page hardback book explores the history or racing in Somerset with anecdotes, stories and photographs, and is a tribute to those that founded the racecourse and helped save it, through various crises, for future generations to enjoy.

There are also recollections of illustrious racehorses whose winning feats have firmly placed Wincanton at the heart of rural Somerset.

Copies of the book are available by from the racecourse. Wincanton is next in action on Wednesday, February 28 when amateur jockeys take centre stage in the Dick Woodhouse Trophy.