The Arena Racing Company (ARC) and William Hill have announced that the sports betting operator has acquired the title sponsorship of the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle Racecourse.
A three-day festival taking place between Thursday 24 and Saturday 26 June, the Northumberland Plate is one of the most significant events at Newcastle Racecourse, concluding with the highlight titular event on the final day.
The William Hill Northumberland Plate meeting on 26 June will be broadcast on Sky Sports Racing and ITV Racing. To celebrate the new sponsorship, the bookmaker will offer six places instead of four, with George Boughey’s horse Lostwithiel the favourite at 11/1.
“We’re delighted to welcome William Hill as headline sponsor for the Northumberland Plate Festival,” said Paul Elliott, Executive Director of Newcastle Racecourse
“The meeting is a real highlight of the racing calendar here at Newcastle, and is one of the biggest sporting events of the year in the area.”
The agreement will see William Hill benefit from prominent branding displayed around the racecourse, alongside race titles for the Saturday card and other feature races such as the Seaton Delaval Handicap, Hoppings Stakes and Gosforth Park Stakes.
“The Northumberland Plate has a fantastic history, and we could not be happier to be the new sponsors of what is shaping up to be a cracking renewal,” said Liam McKee, William Hill’s Global Head of Media & Sponsorship.
William Hill – recently acquired by Caesars Entertainment, which has subsequently announced a sale of all of the operator’s non-US assets – has maintained an extensive sporting presence over the years as part of its wider marketing strategy.
The firm has featured prominently in boxing, having served as one of the principal partners of British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, in addition to fellow UK fighters Lawrence Okolie and Joshua Buatsi.
In addition, the former LSE-registered company further boosted its combat sports branding and marketing in February 2020, announcing a partnership with international MMA promotion organisation Bellator, which focused on the group’s European Series throughout the remainder of that year.