Lottery winners complete 25-year racecourse quest

Elaine and Derek Thompson have visited 59 UK racecourses

A Lottery-winning couple have ended an epic 25-year quest to visit every racecourse in the UK.

Elaine and Derek Thompson decided to spend part of their £2.7m prize on their shared love of horse racing.

The husband and wife, from Newcastle, turned racing into a full-time hobby after scooping the jackpot in 1995.

They have now been to all 59 courses in the UK, finishing at Ludlow Racecourse in Shropshire.

"We have always loved horse racing, it's such a great atmosphere," Mr Thompson said.

"We definitely saved a lovely course for our last one."

The couple, who have also owned three horses, sponsored a race at their 59th venue, which was called the Elaine and Derek Thompson Celebration Chase.

The pair described Ludlow racecourse as special

Mrs Thompson described finishing the tour at Ludlow as special, adding: "It is such a fabulous racecourse, small and intimate which is what we love."

During the Covid pandemic, Mrs Thompson appeared in the news after she revealed she was still working.

She was pictured stacking shelves overnight in a supermarket, something she said had keep her grounded and to act as a role model for her children.