Bookmaker BetMGM to sponsor the County Hurdle at next week's Cheltenham Festival

Bookmaker BetMGM will sponsor the County Hurdle on the final day of next week’s Cheltenham Festival after becoming an official betting partner of the Jockey Club.

BetMGM has also taken on the naming rights to the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton and the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter as part of the deal announced on Friday.

Sam Behar, UK director at BetMGM, said: “We are thrilled to sponsor the County Hurdle. This is the brand’s first festival and we’ve marked it in the best possible way.”

No indication was given in Friday’s announcement whether BetMGM’s sponsorship would extend beyond 2024, but Matt Powell, the Jockey Club’s acting director of partnership, said he believed the two groups would have a long-lasting relationship.

He said: “We are delighted to announce this new partnership and what better way to start it off than with the BetMGM County Hurdle, one of the most competitive contests staged during the Cheltenham Festival.

“This is very much the start of what we expect to be a strong and enduring partnership between BetMGM and the Jockey Club.”

The County Hurdle was the final race at next week’s Cheltenham Festival without a sponsor. On Tuesday, insurer Gallagher was revealed as the new backer of the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, while My Pension Expert was unveiled as the new Arkle sponsor in January.

On Thursday, Boodles extended its sponsorship of the Cheltenham Gold Cup until 2027, while this year’s National Hunt Novices’ Chase will be run in the memory of Maureen Mullins, who died last month aged 94.

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