Coral raises Eclipse Stakes prize money to £750,000

Coral has increased the prize money of UK horse-racing event the Eclipse Stakes to £750,000 (€857,400/$1.05m) in a new deal.

The deal will be for five years, with the £250,000 prize money rise coming into effect from this year’s race at Sandown Park in England on July 7.

The race, which will retain its Coral-Eclipse name as part of the renewal, is the longest-running sponsored Pattern race in Britain.

Coral has supported the event for some 43 years, with the new extension to take this relationship through to at least 2022.

Coal’s PR director Simon Clare said: “The Coral-Eclipse is our flagship sponsorship, and we are incredibly proud of our longstanding association with the race and with Sandown Park that has spanned an incredible 43 years.”

Phil White, London regional director for Jockey Club Racecourses, added: “We are delighted Coral have extended their partnership with us; this is one of the longest running sponsorships in British racing and we are hugely grateful to Coral for their long and continued support.”

The race is named after Eclipse, a racehorse foaled in 1764 and believed to be the ancestor of many modern-day racing greats such as Frankel, Many Clouds and Desert Orchid.