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Apr 2023

Last Updated: 06/04/2023

Community

Ripon Racecourse seals new sponsorship deal as first fixture looms

by Tim Flanagan

| 06 Apr, 2023

With its first fixture of the 2023 season just a fortnight away, Ripon Racecourse has announced a new sponsorship deal with William Hill.

The bookmaker, which has sponsored Ripon's feature race of the year - Great St Wilfrid Handicap - since 1994, is now teaming up with the Boroughridge Road course to offer a bonus of £5,000 to the owner(s) of the inaugural William Hill Ripon Champion 2023, with an additional £1,000 going to the winning stable.

Running throughout the season, which starts on Thursday April 20 and finishes on Saturday September 30, each race winner will accrue three points, with two points for a second-place finish and one point for third. The horse that accumulates the most points across the season will be crowned the champion and will bag the £5,000 prize.

There will be additional points on offer for the Great St Wilfrid Handicap on August 19 - with five points to the winner, three for second and two for third.

Ruairi Stirling, racing sponsorship manager at William Hill said:

"The relationship between Ripon and William Hill goes back many years and this another sign that shows it’s as healthy as ever.

“We’re really keen to award the horses that run well at Ripon repeatedly and hopefully this new incentive will encourage owners and trainers to consider running there throughout the season.”

Jonathan Mullin, operations, marketing and Clerk of the course, said:

“We recognise how hugely important owners are to the sport and here at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse we have a lot of horses and owners who return to us regularly.

“It’s always fantastic to see the old favourites return and the nature of this competition with points for first, second and third, favours horses that run here more often. Hopefully we can reward one of those regulars by crowning them ‘William Hill Ripon Champion’ at the end of the season.

“It’s great to be able to partner with William Hill, long term sponsors here with this innovative new project and now we’re really looking forward to getting the season started and seeing the League table begin to take shape.”

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Ripon Racecourse seals new sponsorship deal as first fixture looms

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