Ladbrokes return as sponsors of All-Weather Championships

Ladbrokes are to return as a sponsor of the All-Weather Championships following a two-year hiatus caused by the row over the authorised betting partner (ABP) strategy.

The firm are to back the Fillies and Mares and the Three-Year-Old categories, replacing 32Red.

They will also take over title sponsorship of the £100,000 Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on Good Friday, a race won this year by Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Gronkowski, who went on to finish runner-up behind US Triple Crown winner Justify in the Belmont Stakes in June.

Ladbrokes were one of the original sponsors of the championships when they were introduced in 2013, but that deal ended in 2016 as the firm refused to sign up to the ABP scheme under which bookmakers could enter sponsorship deals with courses only if they made a contribution to racing's income from offshore betting. The scheme lapsed when the government reformed the levy last year.

Ladbrokes Coral PR director Simon Clare said: "The All-Weather Championships has very quickly become a firmly established and very successful part of the British racing calendar and we are proud that we were one of the founding partners of what was such an innovative new initiative when launched in 2013.

"It is therefore great that Ladbrokes is back involved as a partner of the series and we look forward to contributing significantly to the future success of the All-Weather Championships."

The sixth season of the championships starts on October 23 at Newcastle, culminating in the £1 million finals day at Lingfield on Good Friday, April 19.

Arena Racing Company's director of partnerships David Leyden Dunbar said: "We are delighted to welcome Ladbrokes back to the All-Weather Championships for season six.

"As an original partner back in 2013, they were hugely important in helping to establish the championships into the competition they are today, popular with racing fans, punters and horsemen."

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