Further re Increased Offer

GPG (UK) Holdings PLC 01 February 2008 Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in, into or from the US, Canada or Australia or any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction. 1 February 2008 Cash Offer By Strand Partners Limited on behalf of GPG Acquisitions No. 5 Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Guinness Peat Group plc) for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of NEWBURY RACECOURSE PLC Further re: Increased Offer On 31 January 2008 a document relating to the Increased Offer for the issued and to be issued Ordinary Share capital of Newbury Racecourse was posted to Newbury Racecourse Shareholders. The text of the letter from the Chairman of GPG Acquisitions contained in the document is set out below: "Dear Fellow Shareholder, Background Having for 13 years been a supportive shareholder in Newbury Racecourse, it was with considerable regret that GPG in late October last year found itself at an impasse with the Newbury Board over the economics of its proposed property redevelopment with David Wilson Homes Limited ("DWH"). This came about because the Newbury Board was unable to confirm that the mooted land sale would deliver minimum net inflows, in today's monetary terms, of at least £7 per Share, or £21.3 million in aggregate. As a result GPG requested that the proposed transaction be put to Shareholders for their approval, but was informed by the Newbury Board that due to confidentiality commitments it was barred from publicly supplying Shareholders with financial details of the proposed contract with DWH! GPG then approached the Company with a view to making a recommended offer. This approach was subject to two main conditions, namely the suspension, while offer talks progressed, of negotiations with DWH and satisfactory due diligence. Talks broke down when the Newbury Board indicated it was not in a position to agree to the former. In consequence, GPG felt obliged to make the Original Offer to protect its investment. In doing so GPG's objective has been to gain control of the business, in order to maximise the value of the racecourse and surplus land. Since then the Newbury Board has sought spuriously to question GPG's strategy for racing at Newbury Racecourse. In this regard, Shareholders should take reassurance from the fact that GPG has put on record its firm commitment to the future operation of the racecourse, the essential difference to the current situation being that GPG will seek to make the business profitable. On 22 January, GPG posted the Increased Offer and declared that it was final. I now write to summarise the reasons why the Increased Offer price of £11.50 in cash per Share is attractive to Shareholders. Uncertainties of the DWH Contract The Newbury Board is apparently gloriously unaware of the recent slow-down in the UK residential property market and appears to be determined to enter into the DWH Contract with gay abandon as soon as the offer timetable has run its course. It is absolutely crucial to Shareholders' consideration of the Increased Offer that they recognise not only that receipts by the Company under the DWH Contract are conditional on "satisfactory planning consents", but also that they would be substantially determined by the level of house prices achieved. In this respect Shareholders should note that the Newbury Board has, in its circulars to Shareholders, chosen to focus on an Illustrative Net Asset estimate of the Company which assumes that projected revenues from the development project would be some 5 per cent. higher than those projected by DWH itself. Even assuming Shareholders took the view that such planning permission would be obtained, the only receipts they can place any certainty on are the minimum payments which, under the DWH Contract, are only required to be made over 9.5 years from the date of sale of the surplus land, i.e. perhaps as late as 2018! In this scenario Newbury Racecourse's position under the joint venture would amount to little more than having an unsecured, non interest-bearing, deposit with DWH for that sum. The Newbury Board's proposals would put DWH in control of Shareholders' destiny, leaving the Company exposed over a 10 year period to the risks of a significant property downturn. The Mysterious £12 million in Expenditure As late as 26 July 2007 the Newbury Board reiterated in a press release that the proposed redevelopment project had an estimated cost of £45 million. In its first two Defence Documents the Newbury Board indicated that DWH was expected to invest £31 million in infrastructure, servicing and enabling works fundamental for the redevelopment project. Further, it disclosed £2 million for additional Company investment in racecourse enhancements, an amount it in one case deducted from its net asset estimates. However, it did NOT see fit until its Third Defence Document to disclose to Shareholders that the Independent Directors, presumably between the announcement of GPG's Original Offer and the posting of the First Defence Document, had identified £12 million of savings across "infrastructure, enabling and enhancement works". It seems extraordinary that, until GPG's Increased Offer Document, the Newbury Board did not see this as a material fact of which Shareholders ought to be informed. While GPG welcomes any such savings, without which the net returns to Newbury Racecourse would be materially lower, it is concerned that savings identified in such haste could just as quickly unravel. Furthermore, GPG notes that the Newbury Board has conspicuously chosen not to comment on the two areas of Company expenditure, highlighted in the Increased Offer Document, each of which has the potential to depress significantly the net returns to Shareholders - (i) were the DWH Contract to proceed, it is highly probable that it would crystallize the payment of multi-million pound consultancy fees - none of these have been accounted for and, as such, it is unclear what the Company's share of such fees would be, and, in particular, their impact on overall project returns; and (ii) there is ample scope for the Newbury Board subsequently to decide to expend on discretionary racecourse enhancement funds in excess of the £2 million already disclosed. Shareholders should note that no commitment has been given in this regard. Shareholders should ask themselves why the Newbury Board has neglected to comment on these two value-impacting elements of the missing expenditure. The Conspicuous Lack of Commitment from the Newbury Board? As stated above, the Original Offer was made against the background of the Newbury Board's inability to confirm that the DWH deal would produce minimum net returns, in today's monetary terms, of £7 per Share. The Third Defence Document contains the rather limp statements that (i) the Independent Directors intend to return surplus cash from the proposed development to Shareholders, and that (ii) net cash inflows from the DWH Contract are estimated to be worth £9.37 per Share. That figure is an integral component of the Newbury Board's Illustrative Net Assets figure of £13.27 per Share. It is very telling that, notwithstanding the Newbury Board's voluminous rhetoric, it is unwilling to provide any firm commitment to return capital to Shareholders. Even more pertinent, the Newbury Board's claims that GPG's Increased Offer significantly undervalues the Company must similarly be judged against its selection of the most optimistic estimate of the receipts from the DWH Contract and its failure to provide Shareholders with any assurances regarding associated racecourse expenditure. GPG is Offering to Purchase Shares on Market at £11.50 per Share The Increased Offer is final and is in excess of Newbury Racecourse's estimated net assets per Share of £11.45 based on the Company's own valuation of its surplus land assuming planning permission were obtained, but after deducting its disclosed estimate for additional investment in racecourse enhancements. Furthermore the Increased Offer represents a premium of 16.8 per cent. to the Newbury Racecourse Share price of £9.85 on the last Business Day before the Original Offer was announced, since when the FTSE All-Share Index has fallen by 8.6 per cent. The Increased Offer also provides Shareholders with the alternative of accepting the Offer for part of their shareholding - thereby assisting GPG to gain control of the business with a view to maximising the value of the racecourse and surplus land for the benefit of all remaining Shareholders. As a further alternative, GPG will purchase Shares on market (that is, unconditionally) with the aim of increasing its shareholding from 25.2 per cent. to 29.9 per cent. prior to the end of the Increased Offer. Depressed Newbury Racecourse Share price? Shareholders, including GPG, are thus confronted with a deal (the DWH Contract) which, even assuming Shareholders only required a return of 6 per cent. per annum would in a significant property downturn give rise to a pro-forma net asset value of a mere £10.37 per Share. If Shareholders were looking for a less meagre return than 6 per cent. per annum, this would reduce commensurately. Moreover, in the event that the Newbury Board either were obliged to or chose to expend funds on unaccounted-for additional consultancy fees or racecourse enhancements the value would fall still further. That is why GPG is seriously concerned that, were the DWH Contract to be entered into, a substantial reduction in the Newbury Racecourse Share price, and the market value of each Shareholders' (including GPG's) interests, would be the result. In order to avert such an undesirable outcome, GPG intends, should its Increased Offer not become unconditional, to require the Newbury Board to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting at which it would propose that the DWH Contract not be implemented without prior sanction of Shareholders, and that the Newbury Board be reconfigured so it more properly reflects a suitable level of proprietorial involvement. Newbury Racecourse Shareholders (including GPG) are at the crossroads Left to its own devices the current Newbury Board is committed to implementing its ill-conceived redevelopment plans, which GPG considers will be significantly detrimental to Shareholder value. GPG's Increased Offer provides Shareholders with a real and certain alternative. Given the dubious economics of the DWH deal, and the obvious uncertainties regarding the disbursement by the Newbury Board of the gross proceeds, GPG remains convinced that the entering into of the DWH Contract would lead to a calamitous reduction in the Newbury Racecourse Share price. Bearing this in mind, and notwithstanding the Newbury Board's repeated promises of "jam tomorrow", GPG submits that the certainty of its Increased Offer of £11.50 in cash per Share represents a compelling opportunity for Shareholders. Action to be taken to accept the Increased Offer The procedure for acceptance of the Increased Offer is set out on pages 16-18 of the Increased Offer Document sent to Shareholders on 22 January 2008. Yours sincerely, Blake Nixon Chairman GPG Acquisitions No. 5 Limited" Enquiries: GPG Acquisitions No. 5 Limited Tel: (020) 7484 3370 Blake Nixon, Director Strand Partners Limited Tel: (020) 7409 3494 Simon Raggett Citigate Dewe Rogerson Tel: (020) 7638 9571 Kevin Smith Strand Partners Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively for GPG Acquisitions and no one else in connection with the Increased Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than GPG Acquisitions for providing the protections afforded to customers of Strand Partners, or for providing advice in relation to the Increased Offer or in relation to the contents of this announcement or any transaction or arrangement referred to herein. The availability of the Increased Offer to persons not resident in and citizens of the United Kingdom may be affected by laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are citizens or in which they are resident. Such Overseas Shareholders should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements of any such relevant jurisdiction. Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders are contained in the Original Offer Document. If you remain in any doubt, you should consult your professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction without delay. In particular, the Increased Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from or by the use of the mails of or any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, by means of facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, internet or other forms of electronic communication) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or by any facility of a national, state or other securities exchange of, the United States, or in, into or from Canada or Australia or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction, and the Increased Offer will not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility from or within the United States, Canada or Australia or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a breach of any relevant securities laws of that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this announcement, the Original Offer Document and the Increased Offer Document are not being, and must not be, mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in or into or from the United States, Canada or Australia. This announcement does not constitute, or form part of, an offer to sell or purchase or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of an offer to sell, purchase or subscribe for any securities, pursuant to the Increased Offer or otherwise. The Increased Offer is being made solely by way of the Increased Offer document and the related New Form of Acceptance, which contain the full terms and conditions of the Increased Offer. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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