Horse Racing Ireland Racecourses has agreed a new three-year partnership with Richmond Marketing covering a broad portfolio of beverage categories across Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Navan and Tipperary.
Richmond Marketing will become the official energy drink, hard seltzer, and spritz partner of the four racecourses, activating Red Bull, White Claw, Aperol, Sarti Rosa, Campari, and the alcohol-free brand Crodino 0.0%.
The partnership will launch at Leopardstown on Saturday, September 12, the opening day of the 2026 Irish Champions Festival.
The first major activation will be the introduction of an Aperol Terrace, positioned as a new social and hospitality space combining the racing programme with a premium food and beverage experience.
The agreement will also extend across several of HRI Racecourses’ most important fixtures, including the Dublin Racing Festival and Student Race Day at Leopardstown, the Easter and Winter Festivals at Fairyhouse and the Navan Racing Festival.
The range of brands involved provides Richmond Marketing and the individual racecourses with scope to tailor the activation to different audiences and occasions.
Red Bull is likely to be particularly relevant to younger racegoers and student events, while Aperol and the wider spritz portfolio will be positioned around social, summer and premium hospitality experiences.
The inclusion of White Claw and Crodino 0.0% also reflects the continued diversification of drinks choices at major sporting events, including demand for lower-alcohol and alcohol-free alternatives.
Across the three-year term, the brands will be incorporated into race-day hospitality, consumer promotions and experiential activations designed to enhance the customer offering at each venue.
The deal forms part of HRI Racecourses’ broader commercial strategy to work with brands that can contribute directly to the race-day experience, rather than relying solely on traditional branding and signage.
“We are incredibly proud to announce this partnership with Horse Racing Ireland Racecourses,” said Ciaran Miley, Head of On-Trade and Out of Home at Richmond Marketing.
“Horse racing is one of Ireland’s most iconic sporting and social occasions, attracting passionate fans and consumers from across the country.
“Through Red Bull, White Claw and Aperol, we have an outstanding portfolio of brands that will create memorable moments for racegoers.
“We are excited to work closely with the Horse Racing Ireland team over the next three years and look forward to bringing this partnership to life across their fantastic venues.”
“We are delighted to welcome Richmond Marketing as a partner of HRI Racecourses,” added Rob Crabbe, Commercial Manager at Horse Racing Ireland Racecourses.
“Their portfolio of leading brands is a fantastic addition to our race-day offering and will bring exciting activations and experiences for racegoers across our venues.
“We look forward to working together over the next three years to enhance some of the biggest racing festivals and events in our calendar.”
The partnership gives Richmond Marketing a year-round presence across Flat and National Hunt racing, as well as access to a mix of major festivals, student events, hospitality audiences and regular racegoers.
For HRI Racecourses, the breadth of the agreement offers the opportunity to create distinct branded environments at different meetings while maintaining a consistent partnership across all four venues.
Horse Racing Ireland, Leopardstown Racecourse and Red Bull Ireland are full members of Sport for Business.
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Image Credit: Horse Racing Ireland
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