William Hill returns as sponsor of Futurity Trophy Stakes

William Hill has taken over sponsorship of the Group 1 William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster, the last top-level Flat race of the British season, the bookmaker announced on 19 September 2024.

The race joins William Hill’s racing portfolio decades after the operator first sponsored it in 1976, when it was renamed from the Observer Gold Cup to the William Hill Futurity Stakes. The Futurity Trophy has produced five subsequent Classic winners from its last seven runnings, including Auguste Rodin, who went on to win the Derby and Irish Derby.

Doncaster meeting

The William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes will headline a two-day meeting at Doncaster in which eight races will carry the William Hill name. Trainer Aidan O’Brien, seeking a 12th win in the race, currently holds the ante-post favourite, The Lion In Winter, priced at 5/2 with William Hill.

Comment

Mark Walton, Racing Sponsorship Manager for William Hill, said the deal strengthened the firm’s relationship with Arena Racing Company and marked the end of the 2024 Flat season with a race it once helped rename. He noted the sponsorship coincides with a significant weekend in British racing that also includes Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting.

David Leyden Dunbar, ARC’s Director of Commercial Strategy & Partnerships, said William Hill’s long association with Doncaster Racecourse and the Futurity Trophy made its return a welcome one, adding that the race continues to showcase leading two-year-old talent from the UK and Ireland.

The Futurity Trophy is scheduled to take place at Doncaster on 26 October 2024.