BRIDE Alix Crowson could not believe her eyes when she saw the surprise her husband arranged for their wedding day.

After getting married at Northallerton register office, in North Yorkshire, on Saturday, she and husband Martin in o headed off for an afternoon at Thirsk Racecourse with 55 guests.

But when Mrs Crowson opened the racecard to study the form, she was stunned to find the 3.15 was called Alix and Martin's Wedding Day Maiden Stakes.

Unknown to her, Mr Crowson had agreed to sponsor the race more than six months earlier and had managed to keep it a secret until the big day.

He said: "I made the arrangements with the racecourse back in October and the people at the course have been absolutely marvellous."

"I raced out in the morning to get the papers to make sure she didn't get to read any of them prior to the event.

"It was a most marvellous day and Alix had a brilliant surprise."

Mrs Crowson, who presented the prize to the winning owner, said: "I was amazed. It was the icing on the cake. The weather was lovely, the course looked stunning - it was a brilliant day."

Martin, 42, and Alix, 34, who live in nearby Sowerby, went on to an evening dinner at the Golden Fleece Hotel, Thirsk, and have now left for a honeymoon in Venice.

l There was a real marriage theme at Thirsk at the weekend, with 82-year-old Harry Whitton honouring his late wife Alice, who died last year.

The couple, from Thirsk, were married for 57 years and Mr Whitton wanted to remember his wife by naming a race The Alice Whitton Maiden Stakes, which was split into two divisions.

Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, and Carol Dods, wife of trainer Michael Dods, presented trophies to the connections of the winning horses.

Mr Whitton has a horse in training with Michael Dods, who writes a weekly column for The Northern Echo.