Singleton's Ascot gamble pays off

Sue Phillips wanted a man who "looked good in a tuxedo"

A single woman's gamble to find a date for the Royal Ascot race meeting, with an advert in a newspaper, has paid off after she found the man of her dreams.

Sue Phillips, 52, and her friends picked two potential suitors from nine responses to her advert offering an all-expenses paid trip to Ladies' Day.

The Dorset sales and marketing director left one date before dinner, but her second date Rod Grainger was "perfect".

Both she and Mr Grainger, 56, are from Weymouth and work in business.

They also share an interest in cars - Ms Phillips prefers high-performance motor vehicles while he likes classic cars, she said.

She added: "I was always convinced there was somebody in this town who was perfect for me and it just came about by that stupid advertisement.

"He loves the fact he won me in a competition - we all do."

The criteria for her advertisement - headed: "Susan desperately seeking.." - included a man who "looks good in a tuxedo and can drink his own body weight in champagne."

However, Mr Grainger was not her first choice.

"I have my operations manager to thank for that, she picked Rod," she added.