Horseracing pundit Derek Thompson pays a visit to Bognor

Horse racing lovers in the Observer area are spoilt for choice, a TV racing pundit has declared.

Channel 4's Derek Thompson said the presence of Goodwood and Fontwell close by offered fans of the sport of kings a unique chance to indulge themselves.

"You have got the best of both worlds here. It's a great part of the country to be in for horse racing.

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"Fontwell is a lovely, small, cosy, family course," he stated. "Goodwood is one of the most famous racecourses in the world

in one of the most beautiful settings.

"Rod Fabricius has turned Goodwood Week into an event for everyone, while I have a lot of time for Fontwell's owners, Northern Racing.

"They put in a lot of small touches which make a lot of difference to people."

Mr Thompson, or Tommo to his many fans, was in Bognor to officially open its branch of Betfred. The High Street premises were crowded with punters eager to meet a man who is a regular on their TV screens.

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He handed out hundreds of pounds worth of free bets, some racing tips and signed autographs among having a lot of fun.

The branch opened nine months ago but Mr Thompson's popularity meant it took a while to fit in his trip to Bognor.

Betfred area supervisor Keith Bishop said: "There's plenty of business in Bognor for all the betting shops. We've been fairly busy since we opened and we've had even more customers lately as more holidaymakers arrive in the town."

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