I am absolutely delighted that I scooped £125 for Friends of St Monica’s Hospital after placing a charity bet on Saturday’s Grand National courtesy of Coral.
What a horse and what a fantastic finish! It was so exciting and I am really pleased that winning has meant a little cash bonus for St Monica’s Hospital, a cottage hospital which offers a wonderful service to the community around Easingwold. Congratulations to jockey Davy Russell on his second great win and to Tiger Roll’s trainer, Gordon Elliott, for being the first horse since the great Red Rum to win this prestigious race two years in succession.
I divided my £50 bet between Tiger Roll and Walk in the Mill, a horse owned by one of my parliamentary colleague’s wife, but which came in fourth in Coral’s Easingwold shop. The Grand National is one of those great sporting moments when the whole nation comes together. I was delighted to visit my local shop to meet the staff and customers. I was very happy to take Coral up on their generous offer of a free £50 bet which I placed on Tiger Roll and Walk in the Mill.
Heather Smith (pictured), Coral local manager said "I would like to congratulate Mr Hollinrake for picking the winner and for taking the time to visit us ahead of the Grand National. The Grand National is one of the busiest times of the year in our shops where lots of people go to have a small flutter and enjoy the racing. The Grand National is a great sporting occasion which we all enjoy."
The Grand National is the world's most famous steeplechase and is watched by an estimated 600 million people across 140 countries. It is estimated that around half the entire UK adult population place a bet on the race.
