| Issue 2
Royal Ascot and Qatar:
A Model Partnership
R
oyal Ascot. Often those two words are enough
to set horseracing fans’ hearts beating faster. Few
sporting venues can match the rich heritage and history
of Ascot Racecourse. Over the past 300 years, Ascot has
established itself as a national institution; with Royal
Ascot becoming the centrepiece of the British social
calendar and the ultimate stage for the best racehorses
in the world. The fashion, the glamour, and the
ceremony define the festival as much as the debates over
which horse will win the next race.
In 2014, it was announced that Qatari investment body
QIPCO Holdings would be the first-ever commercial
partner of Royal Ascot. The 10-year partnership will see
QIPCO sponsor some of the biggest races during the
royal week, the highlight of the racing calendar.
Royal Ascot is far from the limit of Qatar’s association
with British horseracing. Since 2011, QIPCO has
also been the backer for the “Champions Series” of
the 35 top British flat races, as well as an increasing
number of the races themselves. Over that time, the
total prize money for those contests has risen 50% to
£17.4 million.
Qatar’s investment allows British racing to attract the
very best runners, keeping horseracing as the second
best attended sport in the UK, and British racing as the
envy of the racing world. The long-term nature of the
partnership with Royal Ascot will ensure it remains the
highlight of the racing calendar and the pinnacle of
British sport for years to come.
| QIPCO, Royal Ascot
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