'It's important to have fun and make people smile' SHOP IN FOCUS CORAL, 6 Broad Street Place, Liverpool St Station, London MANAGER TONY KING Come out of McDonald's entrance to station, turn right, shop straight ahead.

Byline: TONY KING

Why is it special? Latest shop to take the Racing Post Digital Display, also particularly impressive in-shop marketing.

Other staff? Louise Kirwan (deputy); manager's assistants: Preetee Gopaul, Milenna Sheppelenko, Grace Liu, Bradley Ponponne; cleaner: Margaret.

What's unusual about the marketing? Tony King makes the shop his own with a shrine to the Os (the Orient) plus fun special offers and activity. He has been specially commended for this by Brough Scott during Manager of the Year.

What are your hours? 8am- 9.30pm (Mon-Sat), 9am-6pm Sundays (but, sign of the times: the 226 Coral Bishopsgate shop, the other side of Liverpool Station, opens 7am Mon- Fri, as does the adjacent Hills. Donna Edmead is in that Coral at 6.15am putting up papers!) What do you think of the Digital Display? Tremendous potential, when our early prices are integrated I think that will help make it a huge hit. Customer reaction has been positive and I like the attention to detail in subsequent analysis from Racing Post. I have been keeping my own log of comments too.

How long have you been here? Since the shop opened in October 2006. I'm now 37, and have been with Coral since 1997. I started at 18 as a boardmarker with Essex Racing (later acquired by Jennings). I've always loved it.

Do your boardmarking skills still shine through? Presentation is everything, all the more so in prestige and highly competitive City locations. It's important to have fun and make people smile.

Why The Os? I'm a Gunner, but Terry McDonald, who is deputy manager at the Coral in Cullum Street, half a mile away, used to play for Orient and has a lot of memorabilia. People do notice, and it makes a talking point.

What was your most memorable day? Champion Hurdle day, it means Cheltenham is kicking off. This shop is one of the biggest around, it will still be mobbed. Even though we are a basement unit, they stand on the stairs looking in at the big screen.

And your worst? When Cullum Street opened, ten years ago, it was a concept shop creating huge interest, but a pipe was severed outside and, being downstairs too, we were flooded for two weeks. It was cold, smelly, disgusting and the worst fortnight of my life. We still traded.

Who is your sporting hero? Lester. His ride on Royal Academy for Vincent O'Brien at the Breeders' Cup capped it all.

Any problems? Unusual to face much. It's a good shop with good people, although we are careful of the 'Crayford Crew', which includes a young lady. They seem remarkably well informed on Crayford and Sittingbourne and when to take on favourites in forecasts and tricasts.

Do you go racing? Love it, York is my favourite. I was at both Derbys, Epsom and Wimbledon - I can more easily get Saturdays off as it is quieter here. The new stand at Epsom looks the business, and the atmosphere at Wimbledon is fantastic. I put a fiver on Kinda Ready for Angie from our Bishopsgate shop, so she was delighted when he unexpectedly won the final. I was on Fear Zafonic (narrowly beaten runner-up!).

How was Royal Ascot? Coral ran a loyalty card which proved a hit, as getting people back into the shop day by day is always the target. We worked hard within the shop to get punters switched on to it. Results proved good, only really bad loser was Moneycantbuymelove on the Wednesday. For some reason everyone was on that, but a challenging week for our punters is underlined by our in-shop naps competition. Of all those who took part, including some right good judges, only the winner, Darryl, showed a profit. At least everyone enjoyed the week, which is satisfying.

Jim Cremin

CAPTION(S):

Tony King: worked hard to ensure Coral's loyalty card was a success