BOOKMAKER William Hill shrugged off disappointment on the race track to post a 27 per cent rise in profits in the first half of the year.

The group, which runs 1,581 betting shops, shrugged off tough comparisons with last year when the football World Cup boosted interest, as it saw underlying profits climb to £101.9m.

At a time when bookies have suffered from disappointing results at key events such as the Cheltenham Festival, gross wins from William Hill's retail operations raced ahead by 18 per cent.

The company, which floated on the Stock Exchange last year, saw gross win - the success it has with customers - increase across its retail, telephone and interactive gambling operations.

The London group said its growth resulted from offering customers a number of new ways to gamble, including fixed-odds betting terminals and introducing virtual greyhound racing screens at its stores. Chief executive David Harding said this meant dog racing fans could have a bet earlier in the day and more frequently.

He said: "That's the kind of thing people want - they want to be able to have more smaller bets, it's the fun of betting."

Bottom-line pre-tax profits for the six months to July 1, came in at £85.6m, compared with a loss of £12.2m a year ago, when one-off costs associated with its flotation it into the red.