grand
national 2005 / news/
The 2005 John Smith's Grand National to be worth £700,000
16/11/04
 Aintree
Racecourse announced today that the prize fund for the John Smith's Grand
National, to be run on Saturday 9th April 2005, will be £700,000
(over 1,000,000 (Euros)), an increase of £100,000 (16.6%) from
the 2004 race.
BBC Television will cover 14 races live over the three days of the John
Smith's sponsored meeting (7th - 9th April 2005) and total prize money
will top £2 million, which includes 15 races with a prize fund
of over £50,000 - another Aintree record.
Speaking at the annual Grand National Stable Visit, held this year at
Ginger McCain's yard in Cholmondeley, Cheshire, Aintree's Managing Director,
Charles Barnett, said: "We are delighted to welcome John Smith's
as sponsors of the Grand National meeting and its significant contribution
has enabled us to raise prize money levels once again.
"
Although our relationship with John Smith's is in its infancy, we are
already delighted with the contribution and support that has been given
and we have no doubt that this will continue to develop over the future
years."
Tim Seager, UK Marketing Director, Scottish & Newcastle added: "The
opportunity to support three of the biggest days in the UK's sporting
calendar is a very exciting prospect for everyone at John Smith's. We
will be supporting Aintree in its ambition to create the very first £1
million John Smith's Grand National over the coming years."
Additional race to be staged at John Smith's Grand National meeting
Aintree Racecourse also announced that it will be staging an additional
race during the John Smith's Grand National meeting. A new listed mares
only National Hunt flat race will be staged during the three days. This
new race, with a prize fund of £25,000, will give additional value
for money for racegoers, with 7 races on each day of the meeting.
John Smith's Grand National on target for record crowds
Attendance records are once again expected to be broken in 2005 as advance
badge and hospitality sales are ahead of preceding years. All County
Enclosure admission badges and corporate hospitality packages are now
sold out on Friday (Ladies' Day), with limited hospitality available
on Thursday and Saturday. County Enclosure badges are still available
on Thursday and Saturday, with Tattersalls tickets still available on
Friday and the other two days.
Aintree and John Smith's will shortly embark upon new marketing and promotional
campaigns that will also deliver record crowds into the Steeplechase
Enclosure (to be re-named the 'No Nonsense' Steeplechase Enclosure) on
Grand National Day.
Racing's perfect partner
The announcement last week that John Smith's has secured the sponsorship
rights to the Grand National for a period of at least three years, underlines
the commitment to horseracing of nation's number one ale brand.
As a result of this new agreement, John Smith's is now the biggest financial
supporter of racing outside the sport, with a sponsorship portfolio of
quality events spread across a number of courses.
The John Smith's brand is synonymous with racing, due mainly to its continuing
support of the John Smith's Cup at York, which was first run in 1960
and has the distinction of being the country's oldest-established commercially
sponsored race on the Flat.
Britain's biggest brewer is also responsible for the John Smith's Northumberland
Plate at Newcastle and the John Smith's Stakes at Newbury and, when Uttoxeter
was seeking a sponsor for the Midlands Grand National two years ago,
responded with a package which included significant marketing support.
Additionally, John Smith's sponsors a day at Brighton and several regionally
promoted races and, together with significant contributions to Racing
Welfare Charities, supports racing at many levels.
With such a strong affiliation to racing, John Smith's has also been
successful in introducing many new faces to the sport through its innovative
and well received customer-linked promotions and, in conjunction with
Aintree and its marketing team, looks forward to developing a number
of new initiatives in its promotion of the 2005 John Smith's Grand National.
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