Baby Jack given lifetime membership at Newbury Racecourse

Mother went into labour after wins at the course

A BABY born after his mother went into labour at Newbury Racecourse is off to a winning start – as he has been granted lifetime membership.

Jack Sevier’s arrival came after his mother Kim and father Nick both had wins at the July 11 race meeting.

Mrs Sevier, 32, from Wantage, was two days past her due date when she attended the meet.

She was there as part of a family visit to celebrate her grandmother’s 93rd birthday.

However, the excitement proved to be too much and by midnight she was in the maternity unit of the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, having given birth to her first baby, who weighed in at 5lbs 2oz.

Mrs Sevier, a personal trainer, said: “The baby was due on the Tuesday and on Thursday morning I woke up with some funny feelings, but I was thinking it was Braxton Hicks and nothing more serious than that.

“We had planned to go to Newbury races for my nan’s birthday.

“She has always been massively into racing, so a lot of the family all get together around that time of year.

“I had a winner on the first race, my husband had a winner on the second race and by the third race he saw me pacing around the picnic bench and he said ‘Kim, I think you need to call the hospital’.

“I was getting contractions every few minutes so I went to find a quiet spot, called the hospital and they said I needed to come in and I ended up having him at 12 minutes to midnight the same night.

“It all happened very quickly.

“Before we got to the races I wasn’t getting much pain.

“Who knows what brought it on?

“I won on that first race.

“I always get excited when I have a winner, even if it’s not much.

“We both came away from the racecourse quids-up even though we left after the fourth race.”

Jack has been awarded lifetime membership at Newbury Racecourse to mark the circumstances of his birth.

“If he is like the rest of my family I am sure he will be into the races,” Mrs Sevier said.

Marcomms and sponsorship director at Newbury Racecourse Harriet Collins said: “We are thrilled to hear of the birth of Jack and many congratulations to his parents.

“We have not heard of someone going into labour during the racing before and Jack will receive a lifetime membership to the racecourse.

“We hope to see them all here very soon.”