THE Portadown-based motoring service website MyCarNeedsA.com is to sponsor one of the feature races on Saturday, November 4th, day two of the Down Royal Festival of Racing.

The Grade 2 MyCarsNeedsA.com Chase is now the second richest chase held in Northern Ireland and seven of the last nine renewals have been won by horses in the care of trainer Paul Nicholls. These included Kauto Stone in 2011 and returned the following year to win the Grade 1 JNWine.com Champion Chase.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Don Cossack, won the two and a half-mile race in 2014.

In further support of the racing industry, MyCarsNeedsA.com is going to donate £1 to the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund for every job accepted from its association with Down Royal racecourse. Set up in 2014, the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund increases awareness and raises vital funds to support injured jockeys who are most in need.

Scott Hamilton, managing director of MyCarsNeedsA.com, said: “We are really pleased to be able to launch our sponsorship of the race and partnership with Down Royal Racecourse and the Irish Injured Jockeys.

“In providing support to the IIJ, we want to be able to play our small part in helping the industry, and those who put their bodies on the line.”

Mike Todd, general manager at Down Royal, said: “It is super to welcome MyCarsNeedsA.com on board for what will be an exciting renewal of the MyCarsNeedsA.com Grade 2 Steeplechase. The support MyCarsNeedsA.com is offering to the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund is invaluable. It is vital that we can support the wider racing industry via our commercial partners. It is super that MyCarsNeedsA.com has come up with this mechanism to do so.”

Another highlight of the Festival is the Victoria Square Best Dressed Lady competition, which will see the winner jet off to Rio de Janeiro, for a 10-day holiday.