The Curragh announced this week that Tattersalls will continue their support of the Irish Guineas Festival on May 22nd and 23rd.
The sponsorship features the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary having first been run in 1921. The Newmarket-based company will also continue to support the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, which was included in the top 15 highest-rated races in the world last year following the victory of Magical from Sir Dragonet and Search For A Song.
This year the total prize money will be significantly increased, with runners competing for €1.1 million in the three races; €400,000 each for the classics and €300,000 for the Tattersalls Gold Cup. All three races had their purses reduced to €250,000 last year, but they have been restored to 2019 levels.
The sales company has been associated with the Curragh since they first sponsored the Gold Cup in 1985. They added the Irish 2000 Guineas in 2013 and the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2015.
Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: “The Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival is a hugely important part of the Tattersalls global sponsorship portfolio, and demonstrates our sustained commitment to supporting the racing and breeding industries in Ireland. We are immensely proud to be sponsors of two Irish classics, in addition to our long-standing association with the prestigious Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
“As ever, we are looking forward to working with the team at the Curragh to ensure that the Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival is amongst the highlights not only of the Irish flat season, but also the wider European racing calendar.”
Entries closing
Evan Arkwright, racing and sponsorship manager of the Curragh, added: “Tattersalls have been wonderful supporters of the Curragh and we are very grateful to them for their sponsorship.
Their continued support of three of our major Group 1 races is hugely positive for both the racecourse and Irish horse racing especially during these very difficult times.
“We look forward to attracting the very best horses to compete over both days. It was hugely gratifying that the Tattersalls Gold Cup rated so highly in 2021 and we will again be targeting all the leading middle-distance horses to highlight the first entry stage on March 24th.”
Road to Kentucky Derby starts at Dundalk
HOLLYWOODBETS adds its name to the Listed Patton Stakes which will be run over a mile at Dundalk Stadium next Friday, March 5th.
One of the highlights of the season at Dundalk, and a stepping-stone on the road to the Kentucky Derby, the Hollywoodbets Patton Stakes boasts a high class roll of honour. Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the race 10 times in the last 17 years, while his son Joseph got on the scoreboard as a trainer for the first time in 2020 with subsequent Group 3 winner Crossfirehurricane.
In 2018, Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Mendelssohn won the prestigious feature, on his way to victory in the UAE Derby. Every race on the card this year will be sponsored by Hollywoodbets, a brand synonymous with sports betting in South Africa for over two decades.
Hollywoodbets has extended its international footprint in recent years, and the sponsorship at Dundalk provides an opportunity to support horse racing in Ireland.