New Sponsors ARC and Doncaster join UK Horse-racing Festival St Leger

Three major brands have entered into a new partnership in the UK’s signature St Leger horse-racing festival.

New Sponsorship Deals

Betfred, the Arena Racing Company (ARC), and Doncaster Racecourse have entered into new partnerships with the St Leger Festival, with Betfred becoming the title sponsor.

New Name

The newly christened Betfred St Leger Festival will take place on 14-17 September.

More Races Attached

Betfred, ARC, and Doncaster will also have branding tied to additional horseraces May Hill Stakes, Doncaster Cup, and Champagne Stakes.

Betfred CEO Speaks

BetFred CEO Fred Done commented on the new developments:

“To have the Betfred name attached to the St Leger Festival is not just a sponsorship but a privilege.”

Source of Pride

Done further expressed pride on being “associated with the world’s oldest classic” which he equated with “legendary great horses like Triple Crown winner Nijinsky, Dunfermline for the Queen, and Oh So Sharp for Sir Henry Cecil.”

ARC CEO Speaks

ARC CEO Martin Cruddace expressed his pleasure at bringing Betfred into the St Leger Festival sponsorship fold:

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Betfred as the headline sponsors of the St Leger Festival and of the Betfred St Leger itself.”

Longstanding Support

Cruddace further lauded Done and his team for their long-standing keen support of British racing “and the inclusion of this historic race meeting into their sponsorship portfolio is another indication of their commitment to the sport.”

Looking Ahead

Cruddace called the UK sport of racing overall “extremely fortunate to benefit from working in partnership with Fred and his team and we very much look forward to a fantastic Betfred St Leger Festival in September.”

Betfred’s Rise

Betfred continues forward in UK horse-racing sponsorship in a new deal after becoming sponsor of the Oaks and the Derby at Epsom Downs last month.

Full Betfred Deal

The Betfred deal is for a term of three years, with Betfred supporting two other races across the two-day Derby meeting, which this year 2023 takes place on Friday 2nd June and Saturday 3rd June.

Betfred History

The Betfred sponsorship remains the jewel in the new sponsorship crown of UK horseracing. Founded by Done himself as a single betting shop in Salford in 1967, Betfred grew to become the largest independent bookmaker on high street with 1,400 shops. Betfred is currently an official betting partner of Ascot Racecourse and Royal Ascot.

Betfred’s Involvement in Horseracing

Betfred’s longstanding support of British horse racing stretches back 50 years, with Betfred serving as the leading UK horse-racing sponsor between 2011 and 2018.

Outlook

With the additional sponsorships of ARC and Doncaster, the UK horse-racing market looks ready to expand.