SURPRISE donations from bookies have enabled Northern Echo racing writer and jockey Niall Hannity raise more than £27,000 for charity.

Mr Hannity returned to horseracing for the first time in seven years on Thursday, when he took part in Cheltenham Festival’s charity race.

As a professional jockey, Mr Hannity had been based at George Moore’s stable in Middleham, North Yorkshire, and ran his last race at Aintree nearly seven years ago.

Since then, the well-known sportsman has worked as a broadcast journalist for Racing UK and William Hill Radio and as The Northern Echo’s racing correspondent.

He undertook a disciplined regime with the help of a fitness coach and nutritionist to get himself fit for his return to the sport.

It involved losing three stones in three months by eating six small meals a day and undertaking two 30-minute jogs a day.

And on Thursday the hard work proved worth it when the 33-year-old came fourth in the St Patrick’s Derby on horse Crunched.

He raised £10,000 from sponsorship for Cancer Research and then, in an unexpected gesture, bookmaker William Hill donated £12,000 and Sky Bet added another £5,000 to the total. I didn’t expect them to do this at all,” said Mr Hannity yesterday.

“It’s an amazing total. So thanks to everybody who helped us raise this amount.

“It’s for a charity which affects us all.

“In three years, the Cheltenham charity race has raised over half a million pounds.

“People have said ‘well done’ for raising the money.

But it’s everybody who donated the money – and all The Northern Echo readers who donated money – who should be told well done.”