Randox Health the new Ulster National sponsor with increased prize-money

The Ulster National at Downpatrick will have a new sponsor and increased prize-money following news that Randox Health have added the race to a portfolio that has been headed since 2017 by the Grand National at Aintree.

The Randox Ulster National will be run on March 22 for €50,000, and the sponsorship will run for five years.

Randox founder and managing director Dr Peter Fitzgerald said: "This is an incredibly exciting time to be partnering with Downpatrick racecourse to add the Randox Ulster National to our racing portfolio.

"Racing is a sport everyone can enjoy, from all different walks of life, and a partnership with Downpatrick offers us a fantastic opportunity to share our message of preventative health with a wide and engaged audience."

Downpatrick chairman Peter Stewart said: "We are really excited to partner with such a respected global brand as Randox for our most prestigious race meeting and look forward to working closely together to create a wonderful raceday for our customers and achieve our shared objectives.

"The Randox partnership will ensure we continue to attract high-calibre horses for the Randox Ulster National and further endorse its important position on the racing calendar."

Randox has its headquarters at Crumlin in Northern Ireland, and Downpatrick has been recognised as the Sports Venue of the Year for the last two years at the Northern Ireland Hospitality Awards.

A connection between the Ulster National and the Grand National stretches back to the 1940s. Caughoo won the Downpatrick race in 1945 and 1946 before winning at Aintree in 1947, and more recently Pineau De Re won at Downpatrick in 2013 and then at Aintree 12 months later.

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