888-owned bookmaker William Hill will sponsor the Boxing Day racing fixture at Liverpool’s Aintree racecourse for the first time this year.
Out of the seven races on the card, William Hill will sponsor six, including the Formby Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade One race which counts prominent runners such as Constitution Hill as former winners.
The agreement further strengthens the operator’s links to the sport of horse racing, with which – like many other UK operators – it has cultivated extensive sponsorship arrangements with.
Lee Phelps, William Hill Spokesperson and Senior Sports Writer, said: “While many are winding down for Christmas, the racing world is revving up. Boxing Day is always a massive day in the racing calendar and this year is even bigger with Aintree hosting its first ever 26 December meeting, which includes the inaugural running of the historic Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle as the Grade 1 William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle.
“The Novices’ Hurdle was won in 2022 by superstar Constitution Hill when the race was contested as the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown. Our place as the official betting partner of the Grand National Festival in April is a very important one and we’re delighted to be further expanding our relationship with Aintree.
“Boxing Day races tend to draw big crowds, which is one draw of being involved as a sponsor, while the Grade 1, which has a roll of honour including none other than Constitution Hill, is sure to play a starring role in the wider Christmas coverage of the sport.”
The addition of Aintree to William Hill’s Boxing Day sponsorship activity compliments pre-existing partnerships with over 20 races across the 26 and 27 December.
William Hill already has a strong history of engaging with Aintree racecourse as the track is the host venue for the Grand National, the biggest event in the British horse racing calendar, and a fixture also sponsored by the bookmaker.
