ALL eyes at the Castle Combe Circuit turned away from the racing action and on to a new arrival at the track in the shape of a five-month-old guide dog puppy.

Dave and Mandy Salt, who run The Tavern restaurant at the Wiltshire circuit, named the young pup Stanton after they raised £5,000 through donations and events held at the circuit.

The couple met ten years ago and decided to name the puppy after Stanton Manor, where they married on November 5 last year.

“Two years ago we decided we wanted to do the Guide Dogs because the years before we have done other charities,” said Mr Salt, who has run The Tavern at the circuit for five years alongside his wife.

“We saw the Guide Dog lady in Chippenham Town Centre and we fell in love with the dog.

“We raised the money for Stanton in about 15 months by doing events, so Sharon Northwood who works with us spent 12 hours on a race day in a one-piece dog suit.

“I also walked around the paddock in drag and we did a parachute jump at Old Sarum in Salisbury.

“We’re probably close to £2,000 for the second puppy we want to name and we will probably do a competition to choose it.”

Approximately £50,000 will be spent on the training and well-being of a guide dog from the moment it’s born to the day it retires at ten-years-old.

Rebecca Timms, who is training Stanton, said: “It’s my first dog and so I’m in training as well.

“I have always wanted to help and support someone else and I knew I wanted a dog so I thought I might as well get a guide dog because then it’s helping someone else.”