Stan
James will also sponsor at Punchestown, Newcastle and Haydock Park
Cheltenham Racecourse is pleased to
announce that Stan James has renewed its sponsorship of the Champion Hurdle and
is backing two more leading trials for the hurdling showpiece on the "Road
To Cheltenham".
The
newly-supported races are both run on Sunday, November 17 - the StanJames.com
Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham and the StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle at
Punchestown.
Stan
James first sponsored the Grade One Champion Hurdle at The Festival in 2011,
when Hurricane Fly was successful. Rock On Ruby took the 2012 renewal before
Hurricane Fly triumphed for a second time in 2013, becoming only the second
horse to regain the hurdling showpiece.
The
2014 Stan James Champion Hurdle, run over an extended two miles, takes place on
Champion Day at The Festival, Tuesday, March 11, 2014.
Stan
James is also significantly stepping up its sponsorship of the leading trial
races in the build-up the Stan James Champion Hurdle. Five leading trials are
now sponsored by Stan James, with contests at Cheltenham and Punchestown added
to the company's existing support of races at Newcastle, Haydock Park and
Cheltenham.
The two
mile hurdle division is one of the most competitive areas in National Hunt at
the moment with Champions such as Hurricane Fly and Rock On Ruby. The older
horses however face some tough competition from their juniors, who are
progressing out of novice hurdling this season, with The New One winning so
impressively at Kempton Park on Sunday, October 20 and the exciting Our Conor,
who is set to face Hurricane Fly in the Stanjames.com Morgiana Hurdle on
Sunday, 17 November. The New One is currently favourite with the sponsors at
4/1 with second favourite Our Conor at 5/1.
Significantly,
Stan James' backing of the Morgiana Hurdle is the first time the company has
sponsored a race in Ireland.
The
full list of races now sponsored by Stan James is as follows:
NEW
StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle (Grade Three) -
Cheltenham, Sunday, November 17, 2013
NEW
StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle (Grade One) -
Punchestown, Sunday, November 17, 2013
CONTINUING
StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade One) -
Newcastle, Saturday, November 30, 2013
CONTINUING
StanJames.com International Hurdle (Grade Two) -
Cheltenham, Saturday, December 14, 2013
CONTINUING StanJames.com Champion
Hurdle Trial (Grade Two) - Haydock Park, Saturday, January 18,
2014
CONTINUING
Stan James Champion Hurdle (Grade One) - Cheltenham, Tuesday,
March 11, 2014
Denis
Kelly, CEO of StanJames.com commented: "We are delighted
to be sponsoring the Road To Cheltenham series which leads to the Stan James
Champion Hurdle in March.
"We
are particularly pleased at the addition of two races, the StanJames.com
Greatwood Hurdle and the StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle, which get the proceedings
underway on Sunday, November 17.
"The
latter sees the Road To Cheltenham head over the Irish Sea for the first time
with reigning champion Hurricane Fly set to face Triumph Hurdle hero Our Conor
at Punchestown in a mouth-watering contest."
Peter McNeile,
Head of Sponsorship at Cheltenham Racecourse, added:
"It is great news that Stan James has renewed its contract for the Road To
Cheltenham two-mile hurdle races, to include the new additions of the
StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle and the StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle, which
take place on the same day on different sides of the Irish Sea.
"The
two-mile hurdle division looks set to provide us with some thrilling action
this season, with prominent horses such as The New One, Hurricane Fly and Our
Conor.
"I
am sure therefore that Stan James will find this partnership with all the
racecourses incredibly rewarding."
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