The Tote, Britain’s biggest pool betting operator, is targeting closer ties with the Hong Kong Jockey Club by appointing one of its senior stewards to the company’s board. 

MEZIESBLOG understands that The Tote will next week announce that Andrew Weir, a former partner at KPMG China, is joining as a non-executive director.

The appointment comes as The Tote, which was under state ownership before being sold to Betfred in 2011, heads for a further overhaul of its structure.

The company is now owned by a consortium of private investors, including Lord Spencer, the ICAP founder and former Conservative Party treasurer.

The Tote is anticipating a bumper Grand National weekend, with Britain’s most prestigious and widely followed race to be held at Aintree on Saturday.

Alex Frost, its chief executive, told shareholders this week that the company was “currently reviewing how best to shape our organisation going forward”.

He added that Dave Hammond, The Tote’s chief operating officer, was stepping down after three years in the role.

In a statement issued to Sky News, Mr Weir said: “As the UK Tote approaches its centenary, it is an honour to join the board and contribute to the company’s future development. 

“My business experience and roles in Hong Kong and internationally have shown me the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration in advancing the sport.”

The Tote was set up in 1928 partly at the instigation of Winston Churchill, who at the time was a racehorse-owning chancellor of the exchequer.

Insiders say the company enjoyed a positive financial performance during the recent Cheltenham Festival and is on track to progress a planned international expansion.

It employs over 200 people at The Tote’s head office in Wigan and a satellite office in London.