Betfair Partners with ARC and Newcastle Racecourse

Arena Racing Company (ARC) and Newcastle Racecourse have signed a multiyear partnership with Betfair for the Northumberland Plate Festival and Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

The Betfair Northumberland Plate Festival will feature the race, which will be broadcasted live on ITV 1 and Sky Sports Racing. In 2018, the race was won by the Roger Charlton trained Withhold, ridden by Robert Winston and owned by Tony Bloom.

Betfair will also take headline sponsorship of the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Run at the beginning of December over two miles, the race has been won in the last two years by two-time Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air.

“We’re delighted to welcome Betfair on board as the principle partner of two of our feature meetings at Newcastle Racecourse. The Northumberland Plate is a race very much embedded in the history of the area and we look forward to a new era with such a prestigious new sponsor,” David Williamson, Executive Director of Newcastle Racecourse said.

“The Fighting Fifth often attracts some of the top two-mile hurdlers from Britain and Ireland and the clash between Buveur D’Air and Samcro was one of the most anticipated clashes of last season,” David Williamson added.

“To add such an historic Heritage Handicap like the Northumberland Plate and the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle to our ever evolving and increasing Horseracing sponsorship portfolio clearly outlines our commitment to the sport. Our own heritage is steeped in Horseracing and we strive to give racegoers a very unique experience when they attend a Betfair sponsored race day. That is something we, in conjunction with the team at Newcastle, will be focusing on delivering in the coming weeks and months,” Stephen Mault, Brand Director for Betfair in Europe said.