Unibet, have signed a multi -million-pound sponsorship deal which will see us continue our sponsorship of the Unibet Champion Hurdle, for the next five years, until 2028.
Only three companies have ever sponsored the flagship race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. The new deal will mean that Kindred Group owned companies have now sponsored the race since 2011, seven years as Stan James before Unibet took over in 2018. Since our entry into the UK market in 2013, the Unibet brand alone has sponsored over 2,000 races.
Unibet will also have a fresh look Road to Cheltenham series consisting of four hurdle races, including two Grade one contests for the best two milers in the country.
Included in the series is the newly transferred International Hurdle, which will take place as The Unibet Hurdle on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham on 27th January 2024. The Unibet Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham on 19th November and the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown at their Winter Festival over the weekend of 25th/26th November are also included in the series which culminates with the Unibet Champion Hurdle on Tuesday 12th March 2024.
Ed Nicholson, Head of Kindred Group Racing, commented:
“We are delighted to sign a new long-term deal with the Jockey Club and further showcase Unibet’s commitment to UK horse racing. It is a huge honour to be associated with a race such as the Champion Hurdle and we are thrilled to be continuing our long-standing relationship with the Grade One feature.
“We are also looking forward to continuing the new-look Unibet Road to Cheltenham Series, including the new Unibet Hurdle, which will hopefully be a welcomed addition to Festival Trials Day at the end of January”.
CONSTITUTION HILL ridden by Nico de Boinville wins the UNIBET CHAMPION HURDLE CHALLENGE TROPHY (GRADE 1) at CHELTENHAM 14/3/23
Ian Renton, Managing Director at Jockey Club Racecourses, said:
“Unibet and Kindred Group are longstanding supporters of The Cheltenham Festival and British racing more widely, and we are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with them for the next five years.
“We look forward to the Road to Cheltenham Series beginning once again in its new format across the 2023/24 season when the competition from both sides of the Irish sea looks as exciting as it ever has.”
Neil Banbury, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Kindred Group added:
“This agreement comes at a pivotal time for our sectors. Over the course of this new deal through to 2028, the landscape for betting and racing in the UK could look very different. We fully understand the concerns currently being raised by many in the racing sector about the potential friction caused by some of the white paper consultations for millions of everyday racing punters. We are keen to continue being a partner to the sport we love and are committed to continue investing in and supporting it in the coming years.”
ABOUT KINDRED RACING (UNIBET):
During the last 12 months Unibet, part of the Kindred group, sponsored a total of 360 horse races (bringing the total since launching in the UK in May 2013 to 2,044 at time of writing) across all disciplines of the sport: on the all-weather – where Unibet continue to be the Official Betting Partner of Kempton racecourse, on the flat as well as over hurdles and chases.
73% of these sponsored races were handicaps, while Unibet also sponsored three Grade 1 contests, three Grade 2 events, three Grade 3’s and three listed races.
In total 3363 horses ran in these 360 races, with the winners alone picking up £1,038,105 in prize money from races sponsored. Our continued and significant commitment to horse racing sees us invest millions of pounds in the sport through sponsorship, marketing and media rights – not to mention levy payments – each year.
