THE first of Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans' horses runs tonight in a meeting at Chepstow.

Derek Davis

THE first of Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans' horses runs tonight in a meeting at Chepstow.

Suffolk Punch, one of four two-year-olds recently bought by Evans, goes in a field of six in the six furlong flat race at 6.30pm ridden by Liam Keriny.

This will be the colt's first outing, with Ipswich Lad, Portman Boy and Trewarthenick, also owned by Evans, still to run out of Andrew Balding's Kingsclere stables.

Rather than go for the blue and white colours of Ipswich Town, Evans' silks are light blue with a maroon hoop, and it was last night tipped as a 7-1 outsider.

Suffolk Punch will be up against favourite Sir Parky, Strike Shot, Underworld Dandy, Mnarani and Daniella De Bruijn, as they compete for the �5,741 first prize.

The secretive Town owner, who has yet to have his photograph published, is expected to be at the horse's maiden run in South Wales and Ipswich fans are likely to have a punt on it just out of interest.

After his wealth doubled in the past year according to the Sunday Times' Rich List, from �200million to �400m Evans has more than enough to look at another hobby on top of the huge investment he has made at Ipswich Town.

The 45-year-old entrepreneur is understood to have also recently taken ownership of a new super yacht which is berthed in the South of France.