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Fitzdares has launched a new series of short documentaries, the first of which will pay tribute to the late British flat racing horse trainer Sir Henry Cecil.
The documentary series, entitled ‘Honour’, will be launched on 20 November across Fitzdares social media platforms, with the series voiced by BAFTA and Olivier award-winning actor Toby Jones.
Discussing the new series, Fitzdares CEO William Woodhams commented: “We are so proud to present such a wonderful tribute to such a legendary man. Sir Henry captured the imagination of a nation and is an icon of our wonderful industry and particularly Royal Ascot.
“At Fitzdares we are not big fans of bookmaker advertising and decided to invest instead in our ‘honour’ series of short documentaries to celebrate the real heroes and icons of sport. It is fitting that our first is Sir Henry Cecil.”
It follows a survey carried out by Fitzdares during the lockdown, whereby the bookmaker’s team and members were asked who their ‘icon of racing’ was, with an ‘overwhelming percentage of votes’ going to Sir Henry Cecil.
Honour will focus on the trainer’s ‘incredible story of daring and strength of will’, looking at his personal life, family tragedies and his ‘formidable tale of courage’. The project will also be raising money for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, a charity favoured by Sir Henry Cecil.
Launching the series, Fitzdares noted that the project marks a step away from traditional marketing initiatives, with no ‘call to action’.
The documentary will be housed on the Fitzdares website and across Sky Racing’s digital channels. A shorter version will be running across the Sky Sports Racing TV channel, from the Ascot Meeting on November 20th until the Ascot Meeting on December 20th.
The bookmaker added that more ‘Honour’ films are planned for 2021, with tributes to legends of football and National Hunt racing.
