Ballymore back in the saddle

Sponsorship confirmed for jump racing’s premier tournament

Welcoming the news that Ballymore Group is returning to sponsorship at The Cheltenham Festival’s world-famous jump racing season, the company’s founder and chairman, CEO Sean Mulryan has hailed the event as “the Olympics of national racing.”

A devotee of the jump racing who has been going to The Cheltenham Festival for the past 40 years, Mulryan said: “There is nowhere else in the world like Cheltenham racecourse – it is such a special place. It is the pinnacle of the Jump Racing season each year and it is tremendous news that Ballymore is once again sponsoring there.

Ballymore last sponsored Cheltenham Festival in 2010 and are thrilled to be back.

“The ambition has always been to return to the sponsorship if possible and this has now been achieved with the help of Cheltenham Racecourse”.

The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade One two-mile, five furlong novices’ hurdle, the first race on the second day of The Festival, was sponsored by Ballymore, together with the main races leading up it, for three years between 2007 and 2009.

Carey Weeks, Regional Head of Partnerships, Jockey Club Racecourses South West, said: “Ballymore has agreed to sponsor the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival for the next three years and we welcome them back as one of our supporters.”

The illustrious roll of honour for the race, founded in 1971, includes Faugheen (2014), The New One (2013), Hardy Eustace (2003) Istabraq (1997), Danoli (1994), The West Awake (1987), Ten Plus (1986), Sabin Du Loir (1983), Gaye Chance (1981) and Davy Lad (1975).

As well as sponsoring the Cheltenham Festival contest, which will be run on Ladies’ Day, Wednesday, March 14 in 2018, Ballymore is again backing the series of races beforehand.

These contests are staged at Cheltenham on Friday, October 27, 2017; Cheltenham on Friday, November 17,2017; Sandown Park on Friday, December 8, 2017; Cheltenham on Monday, January 1, 2018; Warwick on Saturday, January 13, 2018 and Cheltenham on Saturday, January 27, 2018.

In March the race was won by David Bass-ridden Willoughby Court, trained by Ben Pauling for owners Paul and Clare Rooney, who beat the favourite Neon Wolf by a head.