A Diamond Win For Lucky Tamsin At The Races

One lucky racegoer left Thursday's fixture at Newton Abbot with a bigger win than expected, walking away as the proud owner of a new diamond ring and fiancé.

Matt Bailey, Landlord at the Par Inn, Cornwall, took the opportunity of being surrounded by friends and family at the races to pop the question to his girlfriend of 11 months, Tamsin Hills.

Speaking before the proposal, Matt explained the decision to ask for Tamsin's hand in marriage at the racecourse: "Since the racecourse introduced Landlords' Day last season, I've taken along a party of regulars from the pub to each of the Landlords' fixtures and Tamsin has come along too."

"I like to do things differently and the chance to ask Tamsin to marry me when we're with our friends and families was too good an opportunity to miss, plus she would never expect it."

"Tamsin hadn't been horseracing before we got together but she started coming along when we took our regulars to Landlords' Day. It sums up our relationship really; we've both introduced each other to things we've never done before."

"We've been together over 11 months now and it feels like the perfect time to pop the question."

Matt had been in liaison with the racecourse for several months to plan the surprise, and had even sponsored a race in honour of the proposal, the 2:50 Will You Marry Me Tamsin Novices' Chase.

Both Matt and Tamsin were in for a shock when Sky's At The Races filmed the proposal and aired it live on television. Over a hundred people witnessed Matt pop the question from the Parade Ring and thousands of people across the country shared in the celebration when Tamsin accepted Matt's proposal.

Tamsin, a solicitor from Stephens Scown in Truro, said after the proposal: "I had no idea that Matt had been planning this, although looking back I did think it was odd that no-one was letting me see the afternoon's racecard."

Thursday's proposal follows on from another proposal at the course last season when Darren Symonds asked his girlfriend of two years, Bethan Hughes, to marry him and a double wedding reception for sisters, Michelle and Karen McKenzie-Smith at last year's Ladies' Day.