UK bookmaker Stan James has agreed a deal to sponsor the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the 2014 Cheltenham Festival horseracing event for the fourth consecutive year.
The bookmaker has also renewed its sponsorship of the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse and the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown Racecourse, both of which are part of the ‘Road to Cheltenham’ series of races that precedes the Cheltenham Festival.
The Champion Hurdle will be known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle under the terms of the deal, while the other two races will be referred to as the StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle and the StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle respectively.
The treble sponsorship announcement increases Stan James’ race sponsorship portfolio to six, with the firm already backing the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, Champion Hurdle Trial and Haydock, and the International Hurdle, which also takes place at Cheltenham.
“We are particularly pleased at the addition of two races, the StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle and the StanJames.com Morgiana Hurdle, which get the proceedings under way on Sunday, November 17,” Stanjames.com’s chief executive officer, Denis Kelly, said.
