John Smith's cheers in style

Aintree saw a fabulous day

for last Saturday's 2007 John Smith's celebrated Grand National meeting.

In glorious sunshine, a record crowd cheered on one of the most exciting races in the event's history as the Irish pairing of jockey Robbie Power and 33-1 outsider Silver Birch stormed home to scoop the £399,140 purse.

Have you ever seen so much corporate branding? John Smith's may have paid millions for a three-year deal, but it sure knows how to get the biggest bang for its buck.

Bookies estimated that more than 16 million people enjoyed a flutter on the world's most famous horse race, and massive interest also focused on the 10 novice riders in the newest race on the Grand National card, the John Smith's People's Race.

The nine-furlong charity race was won by Kevin Old, a 44-year-old Bournemouth pawnbroker on Hoo La Baloo, ahead of Yorkshire dental practice manager Vanessa Marston on Turbo and Pickering telephone engineer Alan Lane in third place.

The 10 riders collected £5,000 for their nominated charities while race winner Kevin Old earned an additional £50,000 for the Injured Jockeys' Fund and a personal prize of a VIP trip for two to the 2008 Dubai World Cup.

The following day Vanessa Marston (no relation, but rather ironic from John Smith's point of view) was given a heroine's welcome at her local, the Golden Lion in Helperby, North Yorks, organised by licensee Paul Lindley and his partner, Denise Oddy.

Paul has great faith in Vanessa: " She was left behind after a poorly-organised start - another furlong and she'd definitely have won."

The Golden Lion, a small Admiral Tavern pub, was full to the gunwhales on the Saturday for the race, and on the Sunday for the party.

But Paul is not one for the gee-gees himself. "I keep an eye on the racing, but I never gamble," he claims.

Golden Lion regulars are looking forward to the Sky Sports behind-the-scenes documentary on the People's Race, coming soon.