Amateur jockey Lauren Keen-Hawkins making 'steady progress' following Worcester fall

Amateur jockey Lauren Keen-Hawkins is making "steady progress" in her recovery from a serious head injury she suffered in a fall at Worcester last month.

Keen-Hawkins fell from Faerie Cutlass in a 2m4f handicap hurdle on September 1 and after being moved out of intensive care at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham last month, she has now been transferred to Gloucester Royal Hospital to continue her rehabilitation.

A statement from the Injured Jockeys Fund read: "Following her fall and subsequent head injury at Worcester on September 1, amateur jockey Lauren Keen-Hawkins has been transferred from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham to the Gloucester Royal Hospital where she continues to make steady progress with her rehabilitation.

"She is mobile with assistance, and although confused from time to time, her mental functioning is improving. Lauren’s family anticipate she will be discharged from hospital in the relatively near future to continue her recovery at home and with Out-Patient Therapy from both the NHS and the Injured Jockeys Fund. They would like to thank everyone for their kind messages of support for Lauren."

Amateur jockey Alice Procter's rehabilitation fundraiser nears £30,000 mark

A fundraiser to support the recovery and rehabilitation of amateur jockey Alice Procter is closing in on the £30,000 mark. Last Sunday, Henry Brooke completed the Keswick half-marathon as part of a group of jockeys raising funds for Procter.

The 21-year-old suffered life-changing injuries following a fall at Cartmel in July but is no longer in intensive care following successful surgery on a fractured spine.  Donations can be made at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/aliceprocter.

Richard Morecombe memorial service

A memorial service for Richard Morecombe will be held at 11am at St Luke's Church in Chelsea on October 23, not as stated in Sunday's Racing Post. The founder of Chelsea Thoroughbreds and investment banker died aged 60 this month.

Death of Earl's Brig owner Billy Hamilton

Billy Hamilton, the owner-breeder-trainer of classy chaser Earl’s Brig, died on Wednesday aged 89.

A farmer based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, Hamilton trained Earl’s Brig to finish third in the 1985 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the King George VI Chase after graduating from point-to-points. Earl’s Brig was also successful in the 1985 Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock.

Hamilton’s family retain a connection with racing with his son, Michael, a clerk of the scales and his grandson, Jamie, a jockey.

Owner-breeder Sir Christopher Wates dies aged 84

Sir Christopher Wates, an owner-breeder who trained jumpers on a small scale under permit on his estate near Rye, East Sussex for 20 years, died last week aged 84.

Two of his most notable winners as an owner-breeder, Grade 3 winner Latimer's Place and Penneyrose Bay, were out of his last winner as a trainer, Pennethorne Place.

He was a cousin of the brothers Michael Wates, a former deputy senior steward, and Andrew Wates, owner of Grand National winner Rough Quest.

The former chief executive and chairman of the Wates family's construction business was knighted for services to the construction industry in 1989.

Former policeman and racehorse owner jailed for six years for running fraudulent betting syndicate

A former police sergeant and racehorse owner has been jailed for six years after running a fraudulent betting syndicate that duped over 6,000 people out of at least £44 million.

Mike Stanley, 68, ran the Layezy Racing syndicate and convinced members, who had individually invested up to £500,000, that he had a system to generate guaranteed returns from his betting.

But Stanley was instead operating a Ponzi scheme and spent the money on a lavish lifestyle, including 23 racehorses, a £400,000 property in Spain, cars, jewellery, £1.6 million of cryptocurrency and £622,000 worth of silver bullion.

Detective Sergeant Alec Wood of Kent Police said: "Mike Stanley started Layezy Racing in 2010 as a legitimate source of income for himself and those who paid into the scheme, but the financial evidence showed that from 2013 onwards he was criminally cheating people out of their hard-earned money in order to maintain his own lavish lifestyle.

"I hope the outcome of this investigation sends a clear message that anyone who seeks to lie and cheat their way to financial prosperity will be brought to justice."

RCA Showcase Awards finalists revealed – including Racing Post Readers' shortlist

The finalists for the 2024 RCA Showcase Awards have been unveiled, with 29 courses represented across ten categories. Seven tracks have three nominations, including former winners Ascot, Chester, Musselburgh and York, as well as Chelmsford City, Ripon and Wincanton.

Two of the awards are voted for by the public: the Racing Post Readers' Award and Owners' Racecourse of the Year (in collaboration with the Racehorse Owners Association). Scotland's tracks are particularly well represented in the Racing Post Readers' category, with Ayr, Kelso and Musselburgh joined by Chester and Salisbury.

The winners will be crowned at a ceremony at the Signet Library in Edinburgh on Thursday, November 7.

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