Racing: Bright hopes for Sunday

Tomorrow sees the start of Sunday racing for the 1997 season, with bookmakers William Hill anticipating an upbeat year compared to 1996. "It is impossible to forecast what effect grouping the Sundays together will have on business," David Hood, their spokesman, said.

"It may help to familiarise our customers with Sundays. It is interesting that there are three meetings each day, and we have advocated the need for three meetings every weekday afternoon in order to maximise the Levy. We will open nearly our entire estate of 1,600 shops."