WIN A RACEHORSE FOR A SEASON WITH SIS AT SANDOWN PARK ON FRIDAY
The big draw for the queen mother memorial fund is at 4.00pm

12 Marchy 2004 - The long-awaited draw of the winning ticket in the Queen Mother Memorial Fund’s nationwide competition, sponsored by Satellite Information Services (SIS), will take place on Friday 12 March at 4.00pm at Sandown Park. This follows a charity lunch and auction to raise even more funds for the British Red Cross Queen Mother Memorial Fund for the International Tracing and Message Service.

Punters are still in with a chance of winning ownership of the horse, called Prize Draw and currently owned and to be trained by Nicky Henderson, by buying a ticket for £5.00 before the winning ticket is drawn by Terry Ellis, SIS Director of Operations.

The new owner will have his/her own racing colours, and be the registered owner of the horse for the National Hunt season 2004/2005. The winner will keep the owner’s share of the prize money won by the horse, with associated publicity for being the owner of the SIS/Queen Mother Memorial Fund “Horse of the Year”.

The funds raised by draw ticket sales, which have been raised in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, will help the International Tracing and Message Service in its work to re-unite families which are separated by conflict. This was a cause particularly close to the Queen Mother’s heart, as during the First World War, she was able to contact her brother, who was being held prisoner of war, via this service.

The Queen Mother Memorial Fund, led by Carol Mitchell, Chairman of the Racing Events Committee, with support from the Chairman of the Fund, Admiral Sir James Perowne, has been selling the draw tickets with the help of volunteers around the country at 48 National Hunt race meetings around Britain since last November.

Commenting on the competition’s success, SIS Chief Executive David Holdgate praised the work of the Tracing and Message Service, and thanked the volunteers. “We at SIS were delighted to sponsor this competition and to support this very important service from the British Red Cross,” he said. “International communications are at the core of our business, so we hope the money raised will train more operators for fieldwork, and provide new technology for use by the Tracing and Message Service around the world."

- ends -