Luxury watch brand Longines has expanded its long-standing involvement in horse racing through a five-year sponsorship agreement with the Australian Turf Club.
Under the deal, Longines will serve as the title sponsor of the A$4m (€2.6m/$3.6m) Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes on April 19 – the richest race at the inaugural running of The Championships at Royal Randwick. The Championships Day Two at Royal Randwick will also be re-named The Championships Day Two, Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes is the richest weight for age race over 2000m on turf in the world and will be the culmination of 10 races run over two Saturdays at the Australia Turf Club’s Royal Randwick – where Longines will also have exclusive naming rights to the owners and trainers pavilion overlooking the Theatre of the Horse.
The terms also dictate Longines will be the official timekeeper and official watch of the Australian Turf Club. A Longines-branded chronometer for official race timing will be installed at the world- famous Royal Randwick. Australian actor Simon Baker, a brand ambassador for Longines, is due to present the Longines Elegance Awards at the racecourse on April 19.
Longines is involved in some of the most famous racing events in the world, such as the Prix de Diane Longines, the Dubai World Cup, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Royal Ascot, the Longines Singapore Gold Cup, the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Gran Premio Longines, the Longines Handicap de las Américas, the Grand Prix Longines Lydia Tesio, the Longines Grosser Preis von Baden and the Kentucky Derby.