Cheltenham Festival Secures Major Sponsorship Deals with Ballymore Properties

Strategic Insights -

The Cheltenham festival has announced two major sponsorship deals, securing the first financial backer for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and a replacement for Royal & SunAlliance as supporter of the festival's Grade 1 2m5f novice hurdle. The news follows an unprecedented injection of money into jumping in Britain, with Cheltenham's director of racing Peter McNeile describing the situation as "a very firm tug on the line" for sponsorship of the 2m chase championship. The Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle, sponsored by Ballymore Properties, will be worth £120,000, an increase of 20 per cent.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ballymore Properties, a company headed by racehorse owner Sean Mulryan, has signed a major sponsorship deal with Cheltenham, worth £120,000 for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle.
  • The company will also sponsor five races that feature in the 2m4f novice hurdle pattern, regarded as prime stepping-stones to the festival contest.
  • The races being supported by Ballymore Properties include the Classic Hurdle, the Ballymore Ontario Tower Novices' Hurdle, the Winter Hurdle, the Challow Hurdle, and the Leamington Hurdle.
  • Cheltenham's director of racing Peter McNeile describes the current injection of money into jumping in Britain as "unprecedented" and attributes it to companies becoming disenchanted with football.
  • The Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle, previously known as the Baring Bingham, will be renamed in honour of Cheltenham's founder.
  • Ballymore Properties is a major developer with construction sites in London and has built 600 apartments in London's Docklands.