The owners of a five-star country house hotel near Bala have donated £30,000 to horse racing charities.

Anthony and Donna Cooper-Barney, who own the Relais & Châteaux hotel Palé Hall Hotel at Llanderfel, marked the close of the jump racing season in style on Sunday, 26 April, with the unveiling of their brand-new bar during an intimate evening celebration, and a generous show of support for two racing charities.

Alongside 20 private guests, owners Anthony and Donna welcomed a select gathering of the racing industry’s finest to the five star hotel in Snowdonia, including champion jockey Nico de Boinville, legendary trainer Nicky Henderson, television presenter Matt Chapman. Also invited was little old me, Julie McNicholls Vale, representing the ‘Cambrian News’.

The evening carried an extra note of celebration, with Anthony's own horse, Jingko Blue, claiming victory on the Saturday at Sandown - a timely flourish to mark both the end of the season and the opening of the hotel's newest space.

The Jockey Bar, which is decorated with racing memorabilia and trophies that reflect Anthony’s deep connection to and love of the sport, opened its doors with a whisky cocktail reception and canapés curated by chef Luke Selby, a protégé of Raymond Blanc.

The Jockey Bar is now open to guests of Palé Hall Hotel and also to the general public.

Live music from Gwynedd-based harpist Dylan Rowlands, and Wirral-based duo Amy and Dan Diamond of Comex Entertainment, set the tone throughout the evening, while a select group of VIP guests continued the celebrations over a three-course dinner.

In the spirit of the occasion, the owners made personal donations of £15,000 to Retraining of Racehorses, and £15,000 to Racing Welfare, two organisations at the heart of the racing community.

Presenting the cheques to representatives from both organisations, Anthony spoke movingly about his late son, James Barney, who died in a car accident at the age of 16.

The James Barney Foundation, a charity created in loving memory of James, is a cause close to Anthony and Donna’s hearts, and it has donated thousands of pounds to good causes, but Anthony said it is difficult to get people to donate so they end up raising much of the money they donate themselves. In 2025, the couple spent seven days cycling 423 kilometres from Cannes in France to Pisa, Italy, raising nearly £16,000. The money enabled seven young dancers and singers to go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Patagonia later that year.

Commenting on Sunday’s donations to horse racing-related charities, which came from horse race winnings, Anthony said: “In my view, all of these racehorse owners, when they win, should give a little bit back to these charities, even if it’s only five per cent of their winnings, or 10 per cent of their winnings, if they made it their business to do that, the world would be a better place and these people here would be a lot better off.”