21 October 2011 Jockey Club To Sponsor Mares Point-to-Point Series
by The Point-to-Point Authority
The Jockey Club - whose assets include Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket Racecourses, along with 5,000 acres of training grounds in Newmarket and Lambourn - becomes the main sponsor of the ‘Mares Maiden Series', consisting of 15 Point-to-Point races that will be run over a six month period between December 2011 and May 2012.
As part of the initial one year agreement with the Point-to-Point Authority (PPA), The Jockey Club will benefit from brand profile at each of the 15 events in the Mares Maiden Series, via signage and in the racecard, as well as in The Pointer magazine and the official programme book. Several of the races take place near to The Jockey Club's own racecourses.
As a special bonus to its sponsorship, The Jockey Club is offering connections of the horse that wins the Mares Maidens Series a double prize money opportunity of up to £10,000 for its next run at any of the Group's 14 racecourses.
Commenting on the rationale behind the new partnership, Simon Bazalgette, Group Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, said:
"Point-to-Pointing is a truly exciting sport with a great atmosphere. Many people who go pointing are already our customers, so this new partnership is partly about attracting other horse lovers to our racecourses and partly about giving something back.
"This year we've enjoyed success in appealing to lovers of other horse sports at Badminton, Barbury Castle Horse Trials and at the Guards Polo Club. Pointing offers us a nationwide opportunity and over a longer period of time, so we have high hopes for the partnership.
"The Jockey Club already has a long relationship pointing. Today we are proud to act as one of four stakeholders in the Point-to-Point Authority and every year we welcome many horses at our courses that have competed in Point-to-Points and vice-versa. Hopefully that will go from strength-to-strength supported by this sponsorship."
Simon Claisse, the new Chairman of the Point-to-Point Authority, said:
"The Point-to-Point Authority and indeed the whole point-to-point community both thank and welcome The Jockey Club as an exciting new sponsor to our sector of the sport of horseracing. The Mares Maiden Series has always been considered an important start point for many fillies and mares, several of whom will transfer to the breeding industry once their racing days are over, whether just on point-to-point courses or latterly on jump tracks. Historically these races have always been well supported and we obviously hope the coming season's Champion Mare goes on to draw the generous bonus being offered by The Jockey Club.".
The races involved in the Series are as follows:
4 December 2011 | PPORC (Day 2) at Barbury Castle |
29 January 2012 | South Devon at Ideford Arch |
29 January 2012 | Jedforest at Friars Haugh |
4 February 2012 | Combined Services at Larkhill |
18 February 2012 | Vale of Clettwr at Cilwendeg |
18 February 2012 | North Hereford at Whitwick |
18 February 2012 | Brocklesby at Brocklesby Park |
17 March 2012 | Duke of Buccleuch at Friar's Haugh |
18 March 2012 | Bicester with Whaddon Chase |
31 March 2012 | Southdown & Eridge at Godstone |
9 April 2012 | Vine & Craven at Hackwood Park |
15 April 2012 | West Wales Area Club |
22 April 2012 | Atherstone at Clifton-on-Dunsmore |
13 May 2012 | Four Burrow at Trebudannon |
20 May 2012 | Clifton on Teme at Upper Sapey |
