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QTS Group to Sponsor Scottish Champion Hurdle
22/02/13
The QTS Group is the new sponsor of the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr Racecourse - the richest and most prestigious hurdle race in Scotland.
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The £50,000 Grade 2 race is run on April 20, Coral Scottish Grand National Saturday, and will be shown live on Channel 4.
The sponsorship is a major commitment by the Lanarkshire company to horse racing and follows its highly successful association with Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock.
The QTS Group, based in Drumclog, near Strathaven, was founded in 1992 originally as a tree surgeon business and now provides an extensive range of engineering infrastructure and training services to major organisations across the rail, utilities, construction and public sectors.
QTS is also one of the UK’s largest providers of rail operations, working very closely with Network Rail and other major suppliers. With various engineering and infrastructure contracts, as well as providing market leading training courses, the company is a one stop shop for most business needs.
Alan McLeish commented : “We are delighted to announce our strategic partnership with Ayr Racecourse, Scotland’s premier horse racing venue. The Grand National meeting is a huge spectacle in the UK and we are very proud to be supporting the Scottish Champion Hurdle.
“As a successful local organisation, we like to support other companies and we look forward to what the future holds for Ayr Racecourse and The QTS Group.”
Alan Macdonald, Chairman of Ayr Racecourse, said: “The Scottish Champion Hurdle is one of the highlights of the National Hunt season, not only in Scotland but in the UK. To have such a successful company as The QTS Group as a sponsor is a huge bonus.
“QTS is a fast growing business and I believe their high profile fits perfectly with the Scottish Champion Hurdle. All of the team at Ayr are looking forward to working alongside QTS to make this great race even better.”
The Scottish Champion Hurdle was first run in 1966 when the winner was Blue Venom. It was awarded Grade 2 status in 1991 and was run on the opening day of the two day Scottish Grand National meeting until 1994 when it moved to the Saturday.
Previous winners include Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Captain Christy in 1973, Alderbrook in 1996 (a year after winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham) and Martin Pipe's Granville Again in 1992.
