SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
A group of three attendees at the Grand National on Saturday were asked to leave following a stunt in which they formed a human pyramid and unveiled a Paddy Power banner during the final moments of the race. 
A photo of the stunt was shared on the bookmaker’s official Twitter page with the caption: “When the #GrandNational is taking a while and you have to entertain yourself somehow.”
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the paper’s Mike Price said: “It was by the finish line towards the end of the race. They must have been up there for between two and five minutes. People seemed amused by it. Whether it spoilt the view of the finish line for anyone I don’t know.”
The group were from the Castellers de Vilafranca, one which consists of around 400 human tower building members overall.
A Paddy Power spokesman said: “The Grand National is notoriously difficult to predict and we thought we’d spring a surprise of our own off the track with our latest stunt.”
He continued: “As all the short skirts and fake tan will tell you, it’s all about standing out on Grand National day, and we believe that our 30ft stack of Catalans will raise a few smiles and eyebrows amongst racing fans and casual punters alike.”
This is far from the first time that Paddy Power has sought promotion via unconventional means at events.
At Cheltenham Festival in 2010 a giant Hollywood style sign bearing the bookie’s name was installed on Cleeve Hill overlooking the racecourse. Organisers were somewhat peeved as Paddy Power had gained maximum exposure without paying any sponsorship money.
