Press Releases
Successful opening of ‘The Matchbook Straight Seven’ at Cork Racecourse with Irish Minister in attendance
After trialling of the new ‘Matchbook Straight Seven’ took place at Cork Racecourse Mallow on 23rd April, the racecourse had a successful opening on Friday as part of the racecourse’s two-day ‘Race and Taste’ Festival. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD was in attendance for what was a landmark day for Cork Racecourse.
The first race over the straight seven was the valuable, Matchbook Straight Seven Handicap and was won by the Dennis Hogan trained and ultra-consistent performer Turbine. The mount of Killian Leonard kept on strongly in the driving rain to land the contest for the Boherna-based stable.
Former Mayor for County Cork, John Paul O’Shea said: “This is a great asset to the Racing industry and a great boost for the economy in North Cork. I look forward to seeing some good horses compete on this new track over the coming months.”
Groundworks began in 2017 to extend the existing six-furlong sprint track at Cork Racecourse Mallow, making it one of only two straight seven-furlong facilities in the country. The €500,000 development was funded through the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) racetrack improvement scheme as part of the overall Capital Development Scheme.
Horses galloped over the Matchbook Straight Seven for the first time towards the end of April and trainer Aidan O’Brien commented: “It’s something really exciting. We never had a seven-furlong track like this in Ireland before, it’s a flat fast seven furlongs, horses don’t miss a beat down there, the ground was beautiful. I think it’s really exciting.
“It’s different class. This is a great track. Like I said, it’s real flat, fast. It dries out really well, the ground gets lovely and quick. We’re just very lucky to have it, a stand and facilities like this, stable yard, parade ring. It’s great for us to have it in this part of the country really.”
Fozzy Stack said, “It’s an exciting thing for everybody, straight tracks are at a premium in this country and it looks in fantastic shape, it’s great. I think it’ll be a big addition to racing in Ireland.”
Champion jockey Donnacha O’Brien said, “It’s lovely, it rode lovely, very very fair, obviously very even, not a single bump in it. Both horses I rode on were lovely and smooth, moved very well. I was delighted with it, it’s a great facility and I think it’ll be a big bonus to Irish racing. A lot of tracks in England and abroad are going to be straight sevens, straight miles, so it’s a great bonus to be able to have one here on our back door.”
Seamie Heffernan added, “It was a very good six-furlong track and they’ve redone the surface with an extra furlong. There’s only one other track that can match it in this country and that’s the Curragh, so it has to be a massive boost. I’m well used to riding on good tracks when I go to Britain, but the Irish tracks can be tight. This will be a good, fair track. It’s what racing needs.”
Chris Hayes said, “I thought it was beautifully presented, the soil has bedded in lovely, it’s a lovely fair track. There are no ridges or undulations, just a real wide, level, proper galloping track and I’m looking forward to racing on it in a couple of weeks.”
Mark Brosnan, CEO of Matchbook said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring The Matchbook Straight Seven, the new seven-furlong course at Cork Racecourse Mallow. This will be a unique addition to Irish racing and hugely positive development for Cork Racecourse.”
After a thrilling Grand Final, T1 claimed the 2024 off-season champions title at this year’s Red Bull Home Ground. Emerging victorious with a 3-1 victory over Cloud9, they take home the much-coveted trophy for Korea.
In front of more than 2000 fans experiencing the excitement first-hand in Berlin, Germany and the thousands more watching at home, the professional VALORANT Invitational tournament saw a closely fought finale play out on the Arena Berlin stage.
As the event kicked off on Thursday 21 November, the Group Stages saw both T1 and Cloud9 put in dominant performances as they each went 2-0. While Team Heretics started in a strong position with a win over FOKUS, they fell to Cloud9 and, due to medical issues, were unable to continue, sending FUT Esports straight to the Semis. Vying for their own spot in the semi finals, last year’s champions Fnatic were unable to replicate their 2023 success as G2 headed into the lead with a 2-0 victory.
The Playoffs saw Cloud9 continue their dominant streak as their Semifinals match against G2 Esports went 2-0 with strong performances on both Sunset and Pearl. FUT Esports faced off against T1 in a hotly competitive game, with T1 taking the first map and FUT Esports the second. After a neck and neck showdown, T1 finally took Ascent as FUT bowed out the tournament and T1 advanced to the grand final.
The final stage of the competition saw Cloud9, who came in second place at last year’s tournament, go head to head against T1 in a thrilling matchup. Continuing to step it up in the grand final, T1 were off to a strong start as they took Abyss in a closely fought first match. Although Cloud9 soon equalled the score as they took the second map, it was T1 that eventually emerged victorious, winning the next two closely contested games to claim the trophy and Red Bull Home Ground 2024 champion title.
Following an excellent performance throughout the tournament, Red Bull Home Ground champion BuZz of T1 said: “Winning this tournament means a lot for us. Against international teams we show we’re strong, so that’s why I’m happy we win this tournament and maybe we can keep this momentum until the end of 2025!”
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ELA Games Signs Exciting Partnership with Rootz to Introduce Its Portfolio to New Audiences
Ela Games signs strategic partnership with Rootz
ELA Games is excited to announce its new strategic partnership with Rootz, an iGaming platform that focuses on exciting tech and automation.
Rootz is an all-encompassing iGaming solution built to help operators manage all aspects of their online casinos and power the brands of the future. Some innovative brands in the Rootz portfolio include Wildz, Chipz Casino and many more.
This strategic partnership will see ELA Games’ catalogue being hosted on many of Rootz’s brands. As a result, more players can experience ELA Games’ unique and innovative games like Cash Crab, Joker Cashpot and more. With many of the studio’s games implementing engaging gamification engines, Rootz’s brands can experience increased player acquisition, retention and engagement.
David Fall, ELA Games’ Business Development Manager and spokesperson, commented on the partnership, “We’re proud to announce this significant strategic partnership and are excited about the positive implications it will have on our growth. ELA Games will increase its market presence by being hosted on Rootz’s various platforms, and Rootz will experience increased player engagement from our innovative games. This partnership will prove to be a mutually beneficial one and a meaningful development for our studio.”
Sam Brown, Rootz’s CEO, added, “At Rootz, our players come first, so we’re always thrilled to augment our lobbies with top-quality casino content, like the titles in ELA Games’ catalogue. We’re sure our players will enjoy them, and we look forward to this mutually beneficial collaboration.”
ELA Games continues to experience expansive yet sustainable growth, as evidenced by this recent significant partnership. The studio continues its commitment to producing games with attractive UI and design that enhances the player experience.
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CryptoWins Celebrates One-Year Milestone with Birthday Month Bonuses and New Slot Launch: Wild Alaska
This month marks the one-year anniversary of CryptoWins, a cutting-edge cryptocurrency-only casino that has quickly made an impact in the gaming world since its debut.
To celebrate, CryptoWins is rolling out a month of birthday bonuses and gifts for both new and returning players. Earlier this month, players already enjoyed an 80% VIP Match bonus, and the celebration continues with even more rewards, including a 66% match bonus for players who’ve made at least one deposit during the month, as well as a $20 freebie!
To kick off its birthday month, CryptoWins.com has introduced its latest video slot, Wild Alaska, created by Slotland Entertainment. This high-energy 5×3 slot game is packed with adventure and features a max multiplier of 750x, a $20 max bet, and 20 paylines. A standout feature is the Free Spins round, where all winnings are tripled, and Grizzly Wilds become Extended Wilds, giving players even more opportunities for massive payouts.
“This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the support of our incredible players. To show our gratitude, we’ve released a month of exclusive bonuses and a cool new game,” said Michael Hilary, CryptoWins manager. “We’ve built CryptoWins around the values of transparency, fairness, and player freedom. Our provably fair gaming technology ensures every player can verify game results for complete peace of mind, while our no withdrawal limits policy allows players to enjoy our platform to the fullest.”
In keeping with its commitment to providing regular rewards, CryptoWins has continued to deliver ongoing promotions throughout the year, including reload bonuses and cashback offers. The casino also boasts a dedicated VIP loyalty program, designed to reward consistent play with exclusive perks.
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The future is bright for this forward-thinking cryptocurrency online casino, and players can look forward to even more developments in the months ahead.
CryptoWins, a cryptocurrency casino operated by Slotland Entertainment offers 500+ games from Slotland Entertainment S.A. and eight other game providers: ELA Games, EvoPlay, Felix Gaming, KA Gaming, Rival Gaming, SmartSoft, Spinthon, and Vibra Gaming. Fast deposits and withdrawals are done using Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ether, Monero, Tether, Binance Coin, and USD Coin. Support is available around the clock via live chat and email.
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