William Hill Agrees Three-Year Renewal For Winter Festival

William Hill has signed a new three-year deal with Kempton Park, securing William Hill as the headline sponsor of the Winter Festival until 2015. The agreement will see William Hill’s sponsorship of one of the highlight’s of the National Hunt calendar to a minimum of seven years in total. 

The renewal will also see further investment from William Hill into the two-day Winter Festival meeting, with an increase in funding of over 15%. 

From 2013 the additional monies will boost and upgrade two of the handicaps on the second day of the fixture, with increased prize-money for both the three mile handicap chase and two mile handicap hurdle.

The new deal secures the William Hill commitment to the Winter Festival and also other key days in the Kempton calendar, including the William Hill Lanzarote Day, the sponsorship of the Dovecote Hurdle on RacingPlus Chase day, and also William Hill Jump Sunday in October.

Ralph Topping, CEO for William Hill, said, “This message reaffirms our long term commitment to one of the jewels of the National Hunt Season. By increasing our contribution to the William Hill Winter Festival by more than 15%, we are bucking the culture of cutbacks and putting our money into this major Festival. The William Hill Winter Festival, featuring the King George, is now firmly established as the major sporting event of the Christmas period.’’

Mike Street, Chairman of Kempton Park, commented: “This is great news for Kempton Park and for British racing at a commercially challenging time. Everybody at Kempton and Jockey Club Racecourses are delighted to strengthen the depth and quality of the Jump racing season.  Having a single sponsor backing the prestigious two-day Winter Festival will enable a continuous promotion of some of the finest Jump racing staged in England”.