Irish Horseracing has started the year in style from a sponsorship perspective with two major announcements concerning UK based companies getting or staying involved with two key races in 2015.
Fairyhouse has confirmed that London based The Underwriting Exchange is to renew its support of the €100,000 prize money Dan Moore Memorial Chase this weekend.
The Underwriting Exchange is a leading Lloyd’s Insurance and Reinsurance Broker servicing Irish businesses. It has offices in Dublin and in the financial heartland of London. The company already has links with Irish Racing as it is the stable sponsor to leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott.
“We are delighted to be sponsoring such an iconic race as the Dan Moore Memorial Chase at Fairyhouse,” said Stephen O’Connor of the Underwriting Exchange.
“We have benefitted from its sponsorship of Gordon Elliott’s yard and we see this as a further opportunity to promote our business.”
Benefits
Peter Roe Manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse added “It is fantastic to have The Underwriting Exchange once again on-board as sponsors at Fairyhouse. They are a leading insurance exchange company which has seen the benefits of sponsoring Irish Racing and at Fairyhouse in particular.”
Punchestown has also announced that the online Sports News site sporting life.com is to become a first time Irish sponsor at the track this Saturday taking over the prestigious Moscow Flyer Hurdle.
“Sportinglife.com are part of one of the world’s largest and most successful media groups and we are thrilled that they have chosen Punchestown for their first venture into sponsorship in Ireland,” said Punchestown General Manager Dick O’Sullivan.
“It’s a great endorsement for Punchestown and indeed Irish racing to have such a prestigious company sponsoring here. We look forward to enhancing this relationship and working together in the future.”
The British Horseracing Authority announced plans last year to treble international investment in UK racing from new markets where the sport is growing quickly, especially among elite groups.
In December Goodwood racecourse announced a ten year partnership with Qatar, which will be worth a minimum of £2 million each year, the biggest deal ever signed in the sport.
Ireland has an enviable reputation on the international racing stage and can similarly build investment at all levels of the sport from areas like the middle east where Qatar is already a major player, China where Coolmore has a strong base and elsewhere.
Image credit: Horse Racing Ireland / inpho.ie
