Horseracing

William Hill has announced that it is sponsoring the first ever Boxing Day meeting at Aintree racecourse. Including the notable Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle (formerly the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle), the bookmaker will sponsor six of the seven races on the card in total. Lee Phelps, Spokesperson for William Hill and Senior Sports Writer, said: “While many are winding down …

Racecourse Media Group (RMG) has formed a partnership with sports data and analytics company Ellipse. The deal will utilise data engineering and analytics specialists from Ellipse –  the company behind the likes of CricViz and TennisViz – as well as AI and machine learning to bring a ‘new dimension’ to how fans consume and understand horse racing. Named the first …

Sportsbet has formed a five-year partnership with Melbourne Racing Club (MRC), commencing on 1 January 2024.  The Flutter-owned company aims to ‘re-position the sport’ to new racing fans and open up racing to more sporting audiences. Barni Evans, Sportsbet CEO, stated: “Sportsbet is excited to partner with the MRC, an incredibly successful and progressive club, and we look forward to …

Virgin Bet is sponsoring the December Gold Cup in the Christmas Meeting at Cheltenham, as well as the final race on the card that day. The £130,000 Premier Handicap chase, now named the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup, is set to take place this Saturday (16 December), over an extended two and a half miles on the New Course at …

The BHA has made its final call for owners to complete Britain’s inaugural Thoroughbred Census. Now at a landmark 6,000 submissions from an industry wide push to drive participation, thoroughbred owners have until the end of the year (31 December 2023) to complete Britain’s first-ever Census of this kind. Helena Flynn, Programme Director, Horse Welfare Board, stated: “We’ve had a …

SIS (Sports Information Services) is the new sponsor of the $100,000 Copa Confraternidad del Caribe on the Clásico Internacional del Caribe race day. The annual Caribbean nations thoroughbred championship day, held on 10 December at the Hipódromo Presidente Remón in Panama, attracts leading horses from Panama, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. The competition also carries …

Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), the dedicated provider of technology, content, and media services for sports betting, has developed a brand new race card powered by the Racing Post. Branded ‘Smart View’, SSG’s new race card aims to transform the traditional approach to racing bettors’ experience with race cards, making it more appealing to new and existing audiences. The new race …

In October, content and sports betting data supplier PA Betting Services announced the acquisition of racing data provider iRace Media. SBC speaks exclusively to PA Betting Services’ Director Eugene Delaney and iRace Media’s Founder and CEO Steve Levar about the opportunities the deal presents for both sides, the structure of the combined group and how it could potentially grow with …

Several changes have been made to the start rules in British racing, after being approved by the Board of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).  Following a review of stalls and starting procedures over a 12-month period, one of the first adjustments focuses on Late Load Requests – defined as raceday privilege requests made by a trainer for their horse to …

The Industry People Board’s new report is set to demonstrate views on improving recruitment, skills and retention of staff in the British racing industry. Surveying trainers and stable staff, the report is delivered in partnership with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS), with funding from the Racing Foundation. …