William Hill has been announced as the new sponsor of the County Handicap Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.
Staged over an extended two miles on the final day of Jump Racing’s Olympics, Gold Cup Day, the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle will take place on Friday, March 14, 2025. It is always one of the Festival’s most competitive contests and frequently attracts a maximum field, William Hill noted.
The bookmaker builds on its successful recent association with The Jockey Club. The brand is the Official Betting Partner of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree and this year will also sponsor the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle at the Merseyside venue on Boxing Day. This weekend will see William Hill put its name to five races at Cheltenham’s opening meeting of the season – The Showcase.
To kick off William Hill Showcase Saturday (October 26th), Nick Luck will host ‘The William Hill Showcase Saturday Centaur Preview’ from 11:30 am to 12:05 pm in The Centaur. Luck will be joined by racing greats Sir AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty ahead of Saturday’s Showcase race day. Entry into The Centaur is free for Club and Tattersalls ticket holders.
William Hill’s association with the Home of Jump Racing in the past included sponsorship of the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase at The Festival from 1998 to 2010, while it also backed the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2009, 2012, and 2013.
Dan Glavin, Bookmaker Partnerships Manager at The Jockey Club, said: “It is fantastic to welcome back such a famous brand as William Hill to sponsorship at The Cheltenham Festival.”
“We extend our thanks to William Hill for its generous support, including the sponsorship of the County Hurdle and throughout the season, starting on Friday at The Showcase,” he added.
Daryl West, William Hill’s Head of Media and Sponsorship, said: “The County Hurdle is always a great betting heat and we’ve seen some incredible hurdlers use it as a springboard to greatness. It’s a brilliant race for William Hill to showcase our commitment to proper prices for our customers and it’s a race that we’ve regularly offered extra places for each-way backers.
“As Official Betting Partners of the Grand National and now Cheltenham Festival partners once again, we’re delighted to strengthen our relationship with The Jockey Club. This is in addition to the Champion Chase at Punchestown meaning we’re right at the heart of the action at all three major spring festivals.”
The County Hurdle is a race that William Hill ambassadors Sir AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty both look back fondly at too.
Sir AP McCoy, who won the race on Blowing Wind in 1998, said: “The County Hurdle was the sign that Blowing Wind was developing into a real talent. He was unlucky not to win the Grand National a few years later, but the County Hurdle was his first real big day and we’ve seen that a few times down the years with the likes of Rooster Booster and State Man, who went on to great things.”
Barry Geraghty, a dual winner of the County Hurdle, said: “Spirit Leader’s win crowned a great week for me. I was top rider at the Fesitval that year and when I won on Spirit Leader that gave me my fifth winner of the week, which was a record back then. I also had my last ever Cheltenham Festival winner on Saint Roi in the race, so the County Hurdle has fond memories for me.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/10/29/83531-william-hill-named-sponsor-of-the-county-handicap-hurdle-at-the-cheltenham-festival
