BetVictor have announced that they will become the main sponsor of Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle, which is the first Grade 1 hurdle event of the National Hunt season.
The race takes place on Saturday, and will mark an expansion of the betting company’s racing sponsorship portfolio, following on from their three-year deal to sponsor the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham November meeting, and underlining the importance that BetVictor attaches to investing in major horse racing events as part of its marketing plans.
Speaking about the new sponsorship arrangement, the Director of Sportsbook at BetVictor, Matt Scarrott, said that BetVictor welcomed the opportunity to be involved in such a high profile race:
Horse racing is a key market for our sportsbook division and we strongly believe that the exposure we’ll get as part of this race will further enhance our brand recognition.”
Key trial
Over the years, the Fighting Fifth has proven to be a key trial for the Champion Hurdle at March’s Cheltenham Festival. The current favourite for this year’s race is last year’s winner Buveur d’Air, who went on to claim the Champion Hurdle last season.
Buveur D’Air is likely to face a number of tough opponents in the Fighting Fifth this year, including Samcro, who won the Ballymore Hurdle at the Festival; Supreme Hurdle winner Summerville Boy and Bedrock, who pulled off a notable victory over Samcro at Down Royal.
The new sponsorship deal follows another BetVictor first at Stratford-upon-Avon earlier this year, when it became the first betting company to appear on an LED fence advertisement. The promotion featured an animated graphic of the BetVictor logo on the final fence of the home straight.
