Daredevil Lord has the pulling power to boost Sunday racing

Lord Lipsey admits he will be "risking his life" when he takes part in a harness race at Kempton Park tomorrow night but hopes the experiment will lead to the sport filling gaps in the horseracing calendar next year.

The 60-year-old peer will 'drive' 19-year-old Forest Ranger in a two-wheel sulkie in the seven-runner one-mile event which follows the final race at Kempton's all-weather meeting. Lord David Lawrence Lipsey is the chairman of the Financial Services Authority consumer panel and president of the British Harness Racing Club.

He took up the sport three years ago and said: "It's one of the greatest things I've ever done.

"I am risking my life but one of the great things about harness racing is that even when you're an old guy you can pick it up and enjoy it. I always wanted to race ride but I didn't have the money or time when I was little.

"The sport gives me huge satisfaction. It takes us around two minutes for a mile so they're moving pretty fast." Lord Lipsey says the Levy Board have taken an interest and believes harness racing could take advantage of what he sees as the unpopularity of horseracing on Sundays in Britain. He added: "It's very difficult to get anybody to race on a Sunday now. The public are only coming in small numbers. There are four blank Sundays in 2009 and we can fill the gaps."

Kempton clerk of the course, Barney Clifford, said: "If the trial is a success then we will look to see if we can get the funding mechanism in place for a series here."