Matchbook to sponsor Yorkshire Cup

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Matchbook betting exchange has agreed to a new three-year horse racing sponsorship with York Racecourse to become the Official Betting Partner of the Dante Festival meeting in May.

The Dante Festival takes place over three days, starting on Wednesday, 16 May with Matchbook sponsoring four ITV races over the course of Thursday and Friday including the Group Two Yorkshire Cup, the feature race on Day Three of the Festival. Last year, Stradivarius won the Yorkshire Cup which was the first of four legs he won on his way to win the Weatherby Hamilton Stayers’ Million.

Matchbook also sponsor the Henry II Stakes at Sandown which takes place the following week, meaning that the Betting Exchange now sponsor two of the Weatherby Hamilton Stayers’ Million trials. If one of these horses can then go on, as Stradivarius did so memorably last year, to win the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot (20 June), the Qatar Goodwood Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival (30 July) and the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York’s Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival (23 August), its connections will win the £1 million prize.

Mark Brosnan, CEO of Matchbook, said, “We are delighted to be expanding our horse racing sponsorship portfolio with this three year commitment to the Dante Festival and particularly with such an historic race as the Matchbook Yorkshire Cup. This comes at a key time of the year for us with the flat season really getting going and Royal Ascot a matter of weeks away.”

James Brennan, Head of Marketing and Sponsorship at York Racecourse, said, “The Yorkshire Cup is a famous contest and will benefit from the long-term support of the innovative brand that is Matchbook. Their support over two days of the prestigious Dante Festival is much welcomed.”