Star Sports named sponsor of Sandown's Brigadier Gerard Evening
Independent bookmaker Star Sports has agreed to sponsor all six races at Sandown Park's Brigadier Gerard Evening on 29 May, including two Group 3 contests.
Star Sports, the Brighton-based independent bookmaker, has become the new sponsor of Sandown Park’s Brigadier Gerard Evening, a fixture regarded as one of the richest evenings of racing in Britain. The meeting takes place on Thursday 29 May.
Under the deal, Star Sports will sponsor the entire six-race card, including the Group 3 Henry II Stakes and the feature Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes. The latter has produced strong recent winners, including Hukum in 2023, who went on to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
The fixture, sometimes referred to as London’s Night at the Races, is timed for late spring and is easily reached from the capital, with a direct 30-minute rail service from London Waterloo to Sandown Park.
Wider racing involvement
The sponsorship follows Star Sports’ recent launch of the Star Sports Brighton Owners Series, which will award £10,000 to the leading owner or syndicate at Brighton this season. The Sandown deal represents a further extension of the bookmaker’s presence in British racing.
Flynn Goward, Managing Director at Star Sports, said the Brigadier Gerard Evening is one of the standout fixtures of the Flat season and that the firm was pleased to back all six races for the first time, adding that watching the meeting from the company’s racecourse pitch at Sandown and its office in Hove would be a source of pride for the business.
Sarah Drabwell, General Manager at Sandown Park, said the evening has a long-standing place in the Flat racing calendar and regularly attracts high-quality horses and strong racing interest. She said the fixture combines elite sport with a summer evening out, and that having Star Sports support the whole card reflected the ambition of the venue.
Raceday schedule
Gates open at 4.15pm, with the first race at 6.05pm. The card comprises the starsports.bet Handicap Stakes, the Star Sports National Stakes (Listed), the Star Sports Henry II Stakes (Group 3), the Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Group 3), the Star Sports Heron Stakes (Listed) and the starsports.bet Whitsun Cup Handicap Stakes, with the final race off at 8.40pm.