Leopardstown appeals for sponsor as Irish Champion Stakes has no backer

Almanzor (blue): had three-quarters of a length in hand over Found in the Irish Champion

Almanzor (blue silks with navy spots): won the 2016 Irish Champion Stakes, the highest-rated turf race in the world that yearCredit: Patrick McCann

Leopardstown is appealing for offers to sponsor this year's Irish Champion Stakes, as the track's €1 million highlight faces the prospect of being left without a backer for a third straight season.

Qipco, which had been the title sponsor for the world-class Group 1 since the inception of Longines Irish Champions Weekend in 2014, announced in April 2020 it was ending its backing with immediate effect.

No sponsor was secured for that year's running, which took place behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions, or last year's race when 4,000 saw St Mark's Basilica edge out Tarnawa and Poetic Flare.

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Mark BoylanReporter

Published on 5 July 2022inNews

Last updated 19:46, 5 July 2022

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