Betfred will sponsor all five British Classics next season, having replaced QIPCO as backer of the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and One Thousand Guineas (G1), and the bookmaker will offer a £2 million bonus for any winner of the British Triple Crown.
It is the first time that the Classics—which also include Epsom’s Oaks (G1) and Derby (G1) and the St Leger (G1) at Doncaster—have been supported by one brand. The bookmaker’s boss and founder, Fred Done, said he wanted to put the races back “at the forefront of global horse racing” when announcing the sponsorship deal June 27.
Any winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, and St Leger will receive the seven-figure bonus from next year onwards.
Betfred will sponsor eight races at the three-day Betfred Guineas Festival next May. Done, who founded Betfred in 1967, said: “Nobody has ever sponsored all five British Classics, and I’m so proud to be the first. I’m honored as a bookmaker to be supporting the sport that I love. I want to put the British Classics back where they belong, at the forefront of global horseracing.
“(The Triple Crown) hasn’t been done since Nijinsky II back in 1970, and although Camelot came very close in 2012, it seems about time we were celebrating another Triple Crown winner.”
Fred Done of Betfred at Epsom Racecourse
The Qatar Investment and Project Development Holding Company, often referred to as QIPCO, sponsored the Guineas for 14 years before it announced last week that it would scale back its investment in British racing. QIPCO has also dropped its backing of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) and British Champions Series from next year but has extended its sponsorship of Champions Day at Ascot until 2026.
Betfred took over sponsorship of the Oaks, Derby, and St Leger from Cazoo in 2023 and, in January, extended its backing of the Epsom Classics until 2026.
The Guineas have been sponsored by bookmakers before, with Stan James supporting the races from 2006-10 and online firm Ultimatebet for two years previously.
Amy Starkey, managing director of Jockey Club racecourses, said: “We’ve already seen how Betfred’s tremendous enthusiasm and dynamism has elevated the Derby and Oaks at Epsom, and their passion for racing is fantastic for the sport.
“The offer of this huge bonus for the Triple Crown is another superb initiative, and we’re already really excited about how we can promote these iconic British Classic races in 2025.”
