The Longines Irish Champions Weekend was officially launched in Dublin last night with news that the total prize money on offer across the two days racing on September 12th and 13th will top €4 Million.
Swiss watchmaking company, Longines, has become the title partner of the event for the first time, adding to its relationship with the equine world through its FEI involvement with the RDS Horse Show in August.
The other main sponsors of the two feature races, the Champions Stakes at Leopardstown and the Irish St Leger at the Curragh are Qatari Sovereign Wealth Fund Quipco and the Palmerston House Estate.
Engagement
The depth of business engagement is highlighted by the involvement as well of Jaguar, Kildare Village, KPMG, Goffs, Tattersalls and many more.
Last year’s first time co-branding of the Champions Weekend was a great success with attendance at both tracks above expectation and more importantly a strong international gathering of the wealthiest and most active investors in the racing and breeding industry.
This was the first time that a specific programme had been built to attract that audience to Ireland and show off the industry on its home patch that in many ways dominates the world of bloodstock.
“Last year’s event surpassed all of our expectations,” said Horse Racing Ireland CEO Brian Kavanagh last night.
“We had two great days of racing with an equal spread of winners between British and Irish trainers.”
“We await the return of some of those champions along with many of the most exciting horses we’ve seen this season.”
Internationalisation
“Each year, the internationalisation of Flat racing becomes more evident, and Longines Irish Champions Weekend is very much at the heart of this trend.”
“It is a great honour for Longines to become this year the Title Partner of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend, showcasing Ireland’s two premier racecourses, namely the Curragh and Leopardstown racecourses,” added Juan-Carlos Capelli, Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing.
“Providing our long-lasting timekeeping expertise for this two-day meeting illustrates our continued commitment to equestrian sports, which are part of our rich history since 1878.”
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney represented the Government at the launch and was joined by leading figures from the racing industry including Aidan O’Brien, Willie Mullins, Jim Bolger, Jessica Harrington and John Oxx.
The weekend was always intended to be more that a ‘day at the races’ and has been backed up by a strong campaign of promotion at international race meetings through the spring and summer as well as publication of a brochure detailing accommodation, tourism destinations and shopping facilities as well as the strength of the Irish bloodstock sector.
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