As Irish horse racing begins to return to full attendance capacity after months of COVID-19-induced lockdowns, Leopardstown racecourse has renewed its partnership with the Racing Post.
The four-year agreement between the racetrack and the Spotlight Sports Group-owned horse racing and sports betting media outlet will see the latter renew its sponsorship of day one of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
As a result of this, day one of the festival will be branded the Racing Post Day, whilst the feature race of the day will be billed as the Racing Post Novice Chase.
‘We are absolutely thrilled that the Racing Post has extended their partnership through to 2024,” said Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown.
“Day one of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival is always one of the most exciting dates in the Irish racing calendar and with Racing Post as the title sponsor, we’re expecting it to be bigger than ever. We’re excited to welcome spectators back on track for what is sure to be a festival to remember. ‘
The Racing Post has lauded the agreement as indicative of its ‘commitment to Irish racing’ as the country’s racecourses return to full attendance – having been conducted behind closed doors since January – with Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) permitting venues to increase their indoor capacity to 60% and outdoor capacity to 50% in September.
Taking place between 26-29 December, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival features seven Grade One races and a number of valuable handicap meetings, with over €1 million on offer.
Alan Pepperell, Retail Director of the Racing Post, remarked: ‘The past eighteen months have been incredibly difficult for racecourses across Ireland and we’re delighted to announce our continued support.
“The Leopardstown Christmas Festival is a highlight of the racing calendar and we’re hoping to see full crowds return this year to enjoy the high-quality racing on show. The Racing Post is committed to Irish racing and we know how valuable sponsorship is especially after the pandemic, we’re delighted to extend the agreement for the next four years.”
