With the perfect view of race horses dashing past in their gleaming horse tack and jockeys whizzing past in their colourful silks and riding helmets, for the amorous race-goer the racecourse is the perfect place to pop the question. With Valentines Day fast approaching, several race courses are putting measures in place to encourage some romance at the racing.

Newbury race course is setting aside a special Valentines Day bench overlooking the finishing straight in the hope that it might lure a few race-goers to propose to their loved ones.

The single white "love bench" is to sit with Newbury's classic benches on the lawn beside the finishing post.

Marketing manager for Newbury Harriet Rochester said, "The White Bench proposal concept has been in the pipeline for a while, but we decided to wait for a romantic period to launch it."

"A day at the races is always memorable, but we hope that for some couples this idea will make the memory of that special day last a lifetime."

Race-goers can even arrange for flowers, complimentary champagne, a photographer and a personal announcement to be made over the public address system to ensure that the moment is even more special.

Hopefully, the romantic setting of the bench will ensure that it's not just the horse tack that will be gleaming, but a few lucky ladies' fingers as well.