Couple's wedding day at the races

by Steve Partridge

Sweethearts Iain and Kim Barton tied the knot yesterday - then abandoned their guests at the reception to try and win some honeymoon cash at Cheltenham races. The pair, from Pittville in Cheltenham, married at the town's Registry Office a year to the day after Iain had proposed when the students were both working behind the bar at the racecourse. Kim, aged 22, said; "We decided it had to be done today. We are both students at the Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education and we had met there, but it was at last year's races we really got together. "It's been a brilliant day, it's much better coming here like this than it is working here." The couple planned to join the celebrations at Cheltenham's Conservatory pub after their wedding ceremony. But in a snap decision the racing enthusiasts left their guests behind and went instead to the Prestbury Park racecourse. Kim said the pair were hoping to go travelling around the world for their honeymoon when they finish their courses in fine art and media studies - but they were having little joy in their bid to win some money for the trip. Ian said: "We haven't picked any winners at all. We thought Magic Combination and Celibate would bin for us but neither of them cam in."