Horse racing Archives

BHA will not be “coerced” into televised debate

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has said that it will not be “coerced” by animal rights group Animal Rising's promise to halt protest action during the summer if the BHA partakes in a televised debate about the “morals of horseracing”.

Animal Rising made the claim earlier today (16 June) at a press conference. Julie Harrington, CEO of the BHA, said that the association will not be forced to conduct “any activity by threats of protest”.

“At a press conference today, Animal Rising said they will cease their protest activity this summer if British racing agrees to take part in a public debate about “the morals of horseracing,” Harrington said. “We will never allow British horseracing to be coerced into any activity by threats of protests.”

Harrington said that Animal Rising’s protests at the 2023 Epsom Derby – which the BHA hailed as “reckless and dangerous” last week – shows that their public declarations are not trustworthy.

“Animal Rising have shown by their reckless a..

June 5, 2023

Churchill Downs suspends racing amid safety concerns

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Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has suspended all racing activity at its Churchill Downs Racetrack in Kentucky due to concerns over the safety of horses.

Racing will be halted on 7 June and remain suspended through the remainder of the Spring Meet until 3 July. The remainder of the meet will be relocated to Ellis Park from 10 June.

The suspension comes amid an unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month, resulting in 12 equine fatalities.

An internal review and investigations by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) failed to identify a single factor for this increase.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

May 30, 2023

SiS extends German Tote content deal

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Sports Information Services (SIS) has enhanced its international content offering by striking a new long-term deal with the German Tote.

SiS said the extension with Germany’s leading horse racing betting broker provides it with continued access to premium content from across retail and online channels.

Major German races, including Hamburg’s famous Deutsches Derby, will be made available to SiS’s partners worldwide.

Conall McSorley, SiS’s head of international horse racing, said: “We have established a strong relationship with the German Tote, and we are delighted to extend our partnership over the long-term.

“Our racing portfolio is of the highest quality, and we believe that our customers will enjoy the top-quality action we can continue to provide them with from Germany.”

The extension with German Tote adds to SiS’s content from over 170 racecourses and tracks from five continents, including meetings from Europe, Africa, Latin America and the US.

Riko Luiking, managing direct..

May 19, 2023

SIS and MST partner to bring Italian Gallop Derby to UK & Ireland

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Sports Information Services (SIS) has agreed to a partnership with Media System Technologies (MST), which will see it broadcast the 140th Italian Gallop Derby to operators in the UK and Ireland.

This will be the first time that operators in both regions will be able to accept fixed-odds wagers on the event.

Bettors will be able to wager on the Italian Gallop Derby’s nine races, including three group contests – the Italian Gallop Derby, the President of the Republic Grand Prix and the Carlo D’Alessio Grand Prix.

“The Italian Derby is one of the premier contests in Europe, and we are delighted to bring the 140th renewal to bettors in the UK and Ireland and around the world through our partnership with Media System Technologies,” said Conall McSorley, head of international horse racing at SIS. “With a rich history, the race resonates with racing fans in Italy and globally.

“We are sure that the increased global audience will enjoy the high-quality action from Italy’s most valuable rac..

May 19, 2023

Novibet pens deal with Irish Guineas Festival

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Novibet has signed a deal to become the official betting partner of the 2023 Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival at The Curragh Racecourse in Ireland.

The GameTech operator will be the named sponsor of six races across three days including the Novibet Emerald Mile and the Novibet Guineas Festival Premier Handicap.

“We are delighted to be named as the Official Betting Partner of this year’s Irish Guineas Festival in what is the biggest horse racing sponsorship we’ve been involved with so far,” said Novibet’s Ireland country manager Karl Riley.

“The Irish Guineas is a meeting which is one of the biggest in Irish flat racing and we are very excited to be increasing our presence in this area.”

The deal follows the business’ recent news that it is to sponsor Brazilian football team Fortaleza Esporte Clube.

Racing and sponsorship manager at the Curragh, Evan Arkwright, added: “We are very excited that Novibet has selected the Curragh to launch their biggest horse racing partnership to da..

May 5, 2023

Betfred to sponsor St Leger Festival

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Betfred, the Arena Racing Company (ARC) and Doncaster Racecourse have entered into a new partnership in regards to the St Leger Festival, which will see Betfred become the title sponsor.

This year’s edition of the Betfred St Leger Festival will take place on 14-17 September.

The sponsors will also have branding tied to other races, including the May Hill Stakes, the Doncaster Cup and Champagne Stakes.

“To have the Betfred name attached to the St Leger Festival is not just a sponsorship but a privilege,” said Fred Done, CEO of Betfred. “I am proud to be associated with the world’s oldest classic which is obviously synonymous with great horses like Triple Crown winner Nijinsky, Dunfermline for the Queen and Oh So Sharp for Sir Henry Cecil.”

Martin Cruddace, CEO of ARC, said the company was pleased to have Betfred involved in sponsoring the St Leger Festival.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Betfred as the headline sponsors of the St Leger Festival and of the Betfred St Leger ..

May 5, 2023

PointsBet launches horse racing product

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Australian-based operator PointsBet has announced the launch of its horse racing product PointsBet Racing.

PointsBet Racing – which is now live in 25 states – was created in partnership with 1/ST Technology, a subsidiary of thoroughbred racing company The Stronach Group.

The app will feature many famous tracks around the world, including content from each branch of the Triple Crown American horse racing championship.

The operator said that over 180 tracks total would be included on the app, from venues in the US, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.

The platform will have in-built live streaming and replay capabilities, single user account sign-on and “deep link” integration across the business’ digital products. Also included will be statistical and factor compilation, new user education tools as well “seamless” deposit and withdrawal services.

PointsBet Racing

The product is a result of an October 2022 agreement between 1/ST Technology and the business, who then announc..

May 4, 2023

New York greenlights $455m racing Belmont development

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On 2 May, New York State lawmakers approved the FY2024 budget, which included funding for a $455m (£362.0m/€412.2m) loan to renovate and upgrade the Belmont Park race track.

Non-for-profit racetrack operator the New York Racing Association (NYRA) is charged with developing the project to build the new thoroughbred racing facility at Belmont Park.

The NYRA said that the “significant” construction development would have no cost to tax payers, due to being funded through loans that the operator is obliged to pay back to the state government.

Belmont Park’s existing grandstand and clubhouse are to be replaced with a new building, designed to “reflect the evolution” of racing and wagering since the site was last redeveloped in 1968.

In keeping with the declining popularity of racing in New York, the new construction is to be smaller, with the current 1.25 million square foot facility set to be replaced with a 275,000 square foot structure.

According to the NYRA, the new building is to..

April 26, 2023

UK Tote Group brings in new senior leadership

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UK and Irish pool operator UK Tote Group has hired two new CCOs to support its growth strategy and expand its international and domestic networks.

Jon Knapman joins Tote Group as chief commercial officer of the group’s international B2B business. With its recent expansion into US, South African and Hong Kong markets, the international business has seen substantial growth.

Dave Hammond becomes the chief commercial officer (UK) of the operator’s domestic operation. Hammond brings 25 years of experience in the industry from numerous senior operational roles in companies such as Inspired Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair and DraftKings.

“As we continue to execute our growth strategy for the business and, following three years of significant expansion within international markets with many more opportunities on the horizon, we now have two extremely strong leaders focussed on driving the commercial performance of our international and UK businesses,” UK Tote Group chief executive Alex Fros..

April 11, 2023

Betfred to sponsor the Oaks and the Derby at Epsom Downs

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In a three-year deal, Betfred has announced it is to be the new sponsor of the Oaks and the Derby at Epsom Downs.

The operator will also sponsor two other races over the two days of the Derby in June, however these are yet to be determined. Betfred notes that this is the first of a series of announcements regarding the partnership to be released in the forthcoming weeks.

Betfred previously has been involved in British racing as the sponsor of a number of racing events, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup from 2012 to 2015, as well as the Group One Sprint Cup at Haydock Park.

Betfred founder Fred Done said he was “immensely proud” to be sponsoring the races.

Done said that “for me, the Derby remains the greatest flat race in the world.”

“When you look at some of the horses and characters that have won this great race, Sea-Bird, Mill Reef, Nijinsky, Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott, and Frankie Dettori, it has an amazing history, and I am delighted to become a part of it for at..

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