A TOWN is being urged to make more use of its racing heritage to boost prosperity.

Former teacher Steve Varey lives in Malton, where some of the country's leading trainers are based.

He works for the British Horse Racing Training Board, travelling to racecourses across the country and organising curriculum-based activities for children. He said other towns benefit more from their connections to the racing scene.

"Newmarket really utilises its racing history. There's a museum, statues, it really sells itself on the back of the horseracing theme," he said.

"Local hotels do deals with racecourses for weekend trips away. If that was done in Malton it would bring crowds of people in."

He believes the town management should be focused on Malton's racing history to raise its profile.

"In the early part of the last century, Malton was a bigger horseracing town than Newmarket," he said.

"Although we don't have a race course, we are surrounded by them - in York, Thirsk and Wetherby."

Malton trainer Richard Fahey said: "I agree that it would be good for the town to trade more on its racing connections because, even since I've been here and involved in the scene, racing has become a lot more popular.