A CHARITABLE group set up by the owners of Chepstow Racecourse made a bumper £10,000 donation to three local charities at the Coral Welsh Grand National meeting.

The Reuben Foundation founded by brothers Simon and David Reuben and their family made the presentation to homes charity Shelter Cymru, dementia service Ty Hapus Cymru and the Amser Justin Time cancer charity.

Formed in 2002 as the Reuben Brothers Foundation with a substantial endowment, it has a focus on healthcare and education and community.

Through the acquisition of Arena Leisure Plc in March 2012, and the subsequent merger with Northern Racing Ltd, Reuben Brothers own Britain’s largest horse and greyhound racing group, Arena Racing Company (“ARC”).

The group owns and operates 16 turf and all-weather racecourses in the UK including Chepstow, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of all UK fixtures, more than 500 race meetings a year, as well as five greyhound racing stadiums.

During the pandemic, it donated provisions in association with Chepstow Racecourse for food banks across Monmouthshire.

Meanwhile, course executive Phill Bell has hailed the best crowd for the National since 2016, with more than 10,000 racegoers returning after the pandemic’s 2020 and 2021 lockouts.

He said: “The Welsh have bounced back after two years without crowds. We lost the meeting in 2017 because of the weather so it’s had a slightly chequered recent history, but I didn’t lose confidence that would affect numbers.

“It’s a very strong handicap, at a great time of year, and people have responded. It’s heartening the day is still high on people’s agendas in this part of the world.”

Chepstow holds its first meeting of 2023 this Sunday (January 8) from 12.40pm.

• See back page for a full report of the 2022 Coral Welsh Grand National.