Betfred has announced it will be a sponsor of Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas from 2025 in a multi-year deal.
To celebrate the operator’s sponsorship of the races, Betfred has introduced a £2m bonus for any horse that wins the ‘Betfred Triple Crown’ – comprising the Betfred 2000 Guineas, Betfred Derby and Betfred St Leger. The Triple Crown has been achieved 15 times, but not since Nijinsky in 1970.
In addition to sponsoring the 2000 and 1000 Guineas held on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on 3 May, and 4 May, respectively. Betfred will also sponsor seven more races over the three days of the Betfred Guineas Festival.
Amy Starkey, Managing Director of The Jockey Club, said: “We love working with Fred and all his team so we are absolutely thrilled that Betfred have become the new sponsors of the two iconic Classics staged on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, the 2000 and 1000 Guineas.
“We have already seen how Betfred’s tremendous enthusiasm and dynamism has elevated the Derby and Oaks at Epsom Downs and their passion for racing is fantastic for the sport. The offer of this huge bonus for the Triple Crown is another superb initiative and we’re already really excited about how we can promote these iconic British Classic races in 2025.”
This deal is notable not only for the bonus money on offer, but also because it makes Betfred the first brand to sponsor all five of Britain’s Classics simultaneously – the Betfred Oaks and Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs and Doncaster’s Betfred St Leger, in addition to the 2000 and 1000 Guineas.
Fred Done, Founder of Betfred, commented: “Nobody has ever sponsored all five British Classics and I am so proud to be the first. I am honoured as a bookmaker to be supporting the sport that I love. I want to put the British Classics back where they belong, at the forefront of global Horse Racing.
“As The Bonus King, it only seems right that I should offer a bonus. Therefore, I am offering £2m to any horse who wins the Betfred Triple Crown, consisting of the Betfred 2000 Guineas, Betfred Derby and Betfred St Leger.
“It hasn’t been done since Nijinsky back in 1970, and although Camelot came very close in 2012, it seems about time we were celebrating another Triple Crown winner.”
In its journey to sponsoring all five Britain’s Classic races, the operator agreed a deal with Doncaster Racecourse and Arena Racing Company (ARC) to form a multi-year partnership covering the St Leger Festival last year.
David Leyden Dunbar, Group Director of Commercial Strategy at ARC, which stages the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster, remarked: “Betfred have been a huge supporter of British Racing, so we are delighted to see them take over sponsorship of all five Classics from next year. The Triple Crown Bonus is a fantastic initiative, and one that we hope to be able to celebrate at the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster in the coming years.”
