Two of the most prominent sponsors in Irish horse racing, Tattersalls and GAIN Equine Nutrition, have reaffirmed their commitment to the sport with renewed and expanded sponsorship agreements at The Curragh Racecourse, strengthening key fixtures in the Irish racing calendar.
Tattersalls, Europe’s leading bloodstock auctioneers, will continue as title sponsor of the Irish Guineas Festival through 2028. This partnership includes continued support for three major Group 1 contests – the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Irish 1,000 Guineas, and the Tattersalls Gold Cup -each offering prize money of at least €500,000, totalling €1.5 million.
Tattersalls has sponsored the Gold Cup since 1985 and the Guineas since 2013 and 2015 respectively.
“The Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival is one of the great weekends of racing in Europe,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “We are proud to extend our sponsorship to 2028 and look forward to another outstanding festival.”
This year’s Guineas Festival takes place this coming weekend and promises a high-calibre lineup.
Entries for the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas include Officer, trained by Aidan O’Brien alongside stablemates Henri Matisse, Twain, and Camille Pissarro.
The Tattersalls 1,000 Guineas could see entries such as Falakeyah and Atsila joined by Flight, Simmering, Duty First, and Champion two-year-old filly Lake Victoria.
The Tattersalls Gold Cup is set to attract leading middle-distance horses including Kalpana, Los Angeles, Ancient Wisdom, and Al Riffa.
Brian Kavanagh, CEO of The Curragh, described Tattersalls as “synonymous with excellence,” adding: “Their continued support helps elevate the festival to international prominence.”
Tattersalls has also renewed sponsorship of enhanced owners’ and trainers’ facilities at the Curragh, underscoring their broader commitment to the sport.
In parallel, GAIN Equine Nutrition has announced the continuation of its long-standing partnership with The Curragh into the 2025 season. The collaboration, which began in 2012, will again feature sponsorship of top two-year-old races and introduce a new race to the prestigious Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day lineup.
“We are excited to renew our partnership,” said Philip Gilligan, Irish Country Manager at GAIN Equine Nutrition. “Adding the GAIN Summer Fillies Handicap on Derby Day is a key milestone and reflects our shared commitment to Irish racing.”
The GAIN-sponsored races include the GAIN Marble Hill Stakes during the Guineas Festival, the GAIN Summer Fillies Handicap on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day and the GAIN Railway Stakes during Juddmonte Irish Oaks Day. A historic race established in 1851, last year’s winner Henri Matisse has since enjoyed international success, including a recent Group 1 win at Longchamp.
Leading trainer Ger Lyons welcomed GAIN’s continued support: “The Railway Stakes is a key marker for top juveniles. Horses like Siskin have used it as a launchpad to greater success.”
Brian Kavanagh added: “GAIN has been a loyal and valued partner. We’re delighted to continue working with them to enhance the race day experience across our premier weekends.”
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SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Industry sponsorship has long been a cornerstone of the Racing Sponsorship scene but can never be taken for granted so the three year extension of Tattersalls involvement acroiss the Guineas Weekend is great news.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The racing action at the curragh takes place this coming weekend, May 23rd to 25th.
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