Grand National saddles up new headline partner

Global healthcare provider Randox Health has been unveiled as the new headline partner of UK horse racing’s Grand National Festival.

The deal will run for five years, from 2017 to 2021.

Under the agreement, Randox will also become the official healthcare partner of the Jockey Club, which operates numerous racecourses, including Aintree.

The contract will coincide with a five-year plan from Randox to launch about 50 health clinics across the UK and Ireland.

Alcoholic ginger beer brand Crabbie’s, the current Grand National title sponsor under a three-year deal that will expire after the three-day festival next month from April 7-9, will shift to become the sponsor of the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle on the Friday’s Ladies Day from 2017.

More than 150,000 spectators attend the festival, which will be shown by UK commercial broadcaster ITV from 2017.

John Baker, northwest regional director for Jockey Club Racecourses, ‎which runs Aintree, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time to join forces with Randox because they are highly ambitious as a company and share our aspiration to promote the Grand National to the maximum number of people in the years ahead.”