AND they're off!

A fundraiser was quickly out of the stalls at a race meeting at Newmarket.

A race at the prestigious venue was named the Colchester Cancer Centre Campaign maiden fillies' stakes in honour of the appeal to raise £4.5 million for a new cancer centre at Colchester General Hospital.

A total of six horses competed over seven furlongs of the hallowed turf with the winner, Grecian Light, coming in a 7/2.

Caroline Bates, head of charity and fundraising for Colchester Hospitals Charity, presented the prize to winner jockey James McDonald.

She said: "I have been to lots of Women's Institute events over the years and presented prizes for all manner of things but it was the first time I have ever presented a prize at a racing event.

"It was a fantastic experience. It was a good opportunity to talk about the Cancer Centre Campaign, to raise awareness of it and collect some money."

The fundraising team sold specially branded Cancer Centre Campaign crisps, made by Fairfields, and collected money in buckets to raise a total of £1,700.

So far, about £1.4 million has been raised towards the total.

More money is set to be donated thanks to a concert in Tiptree on Saturday.

The choir, Tiptree Sings, will be raising the rafters at St Luke's Church in the village.

Director of music Martyn Blagden, who leads four choirs, said nearly £3,500 has been raised so far this year by his choirs for St Helena Hospice, Cancer UK and research into brain cancer in children.

The Cancer Centre Campaign was chosen this time in support of Mary Parfitt, who is a member of Tiptree Sings, has raised more than £5,000 for the appeal.

The appeal aims to pay for a centre to be built on the top of the radiotherapy centre at the hospital to allow all clinical treatments and support services to be in one place.

At the moment, chemotherapy is administered in the Mary Barron suite, a temporary building on the other side of the hospital complex.

Tickets for Saturday's concert, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £7 and are available by calling 07833 099386.

To donate money to the Cancer Centre Campaign, text GAZE11 £10 to 70070 (or chose a different amount).

Cheques can be made payable to CoHoC Cancer Centre Campaign and sent to Colchester Hospitals Charity, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL.

Donations can also be made online by going to www.CohoC.org.uk.