Ryanair sponsor Festival chase
Ryanair have stepped in to replace the Daily Telegraph as sponsors of the newest championship chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
The addition of a fourth day of the meeting in March led to the introduction of the two-mile-five-furlong chase, but a change of ownership has prompted the Telegraph not to renew the sponsorship next year, leaving the way open for the low fares airline to step in with an initial three-year commitment.
The £150,000 (€213,000) Ryanair Chase will be run on the third day of the fixture, Thursday, March 16.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive officer, said: “For over 10 years now, Ryanair has been carrying thousands of visitors to the Cheltenham Festival on our frequent, low fare flights to Birmingham, Bristol and East Midlands airports.
“As the Cheltenham Festival’s official airline, we will now be adding extra flights and lower fares for the four-day extravaganza next March.
“In addition to a direct web link from Cheltenham to the Ryanair website, Ryanair will also have a flight desk in Cheltenham for each of the four days of the Festival to assist racegoers with flights, tickets and any changes they may wish to make.”
Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham’s managing director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ryanair as the Festival’s official airline – people from all round Europe come to Cheltenham for the four days in March.
“The Ryanair Chase, the Festival’s newest championship contest, will go from strength to strength. Last year’s race produced an exciting spectacle that captured racegoers’ imaginations and epitomised the spirit of the meeting.”
The Grade Two race produced a thrilling finish when Thisthatandtother got up close home to defeat Fondmort by half-a-length.
