William Hill has inked its latest horse racing partnership in a continuation of a long-running marketing strategy, signing a deal with the Qipco Guineas Festival.
The bookmaker, part of the 888 Holdings international gaming group, has become the official betting partner of the festival, the first UK classic meeting of the racing season.
It means that William Hill will now sponsor 15 races across the weekend including the Jockey Club Stakes, Palace House and Dahlia Stakes among those covered. The three-day festival will be headlined by the 2000 and 1000 Guineas fixtures.
Lee Phelps, William Hill spokesperson, said: “We’re delighted to become the official betting partner of the Qipco Guineas Festival, strengthening our relationship with The Jockey Club on the back of a fantastic Grand National Festival.
“It’s brilliant for William Hill to be associated directly with such a prestigious event at Newmarket, the home of the thoroughbred, for this season’s first two Classics. The company has a close connection with the history of the 2000 Guineas, as William Hill himself bred the 1949 winner Nimbus, who then went on to win the Derby.
“We’re excited to be involved at racing’s key meetings and see the Qipco Guineas Festival as the perfect sponsorship as the British Flat season kicks into gear.”
William Hill is the UK’s oldest bookmaker and has a long-time association with horse racing, the second most bet on sport in the country after football. Horse racing’s significance to its marketing has continued in the years following its acquisition by 888 in 2021.
The Qipco partnership builds on William Hill’s sponsorship of the Lincoln at Doncaster, the Punchestown Champion Chase, and its status as official betting partner of the Randox Grand National Festival.
