Budding reporters from Abbeyfield School were hoping their teacher had backed a winner after getting the story straight from the horse's mouth.

They discovered the husband of English teacher Elizabeth Hawker is co-owner of racehorse Twenty Degrees.

He's racing in Friday's Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.

Twelve-year-old Julien said: "Mrs Hawker said he's a good racer, he's very fast, but the problem with him is that he thinks all he has got to do is beat the horse in front and then he stops before the finishing line.

"She's very happy with him apart from that and thinks he stands a good chance of winning."

English teacher Phil Kirby says most pupils at the school don't even know about the racing connection - but Mrs Hawker and her husband Mike will be at the races hoping for a space in the winners' enclosure.

Horse racing was a popular News Day item and two students from Rednock School in Gloucestershire joined the BBC's Points West team at Cheltenham.

Students' racing report