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Sportsbet has agreed a five-year partnership deal with Melbourne Racing Club (MRC), which will begin on 1 January 2024.
The MRC is a not-for-profit members club that conducts more than 80 race meetings a year; part of this deal will see Sportsbet becoming the naming rights partner for the Caulfield Cup Carnival and the Caulfield Cup.
Sportsbet will make a AU$125,000 (US$83,900) contribution to the MRC Foundation each year, as well as investing into racing growth initiatives at Mornington racetrack, investment in the growth of MRC Membership; and offering a AU$1m prize for any horse that takes out the Sportsbet Mornington Cup and Sportsbet Caulfield Cup double in the same calendar year.
One of the main aims of the collaboration is “to re-position the sport to new racing fans and open up racing to more sporting audiences.”
Barni Evans, Sportsbet CEO, said: “Sportsbet is excited to partner with the MRC, an incredibly successful and progressive Club, and we look forward to bringing to life our shared ambition of attracting new audiences to racing.
“We’re always looking to do more for the community and we’re particularly proud to be contributing AU$125,000 each year of the partnership to the MRC Foundation, supporting local communities and helping racing industry participants.”
Josh Blanksby, Melbourne Racing Club CEO, added: “This is the most significant partnership in the Club’s history, and we’re thrilled to be working with Sportsbet, Australia’s largest wagering provider, to open up the sport to more audiences and futureproof racing on the sporting stage.
“We’re excited by the opportunities that partnering with such an iconic brand in the sport and racing spaces presents, and we look forward to introducing a greater sporting audience to our racing product through Sportsbet’s impressive market share”.
