Betfred is announced today as the new sponsor of Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas from 2025 onwards. The multi-year agreement means the bookmaker has become the first brand to sponsor all five of Britain’s Classics – the others being the Betfred Oaks and Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs and Doncaster’s Betfred St Leger - at the same time.
To mark their sponsorship of the prestigious contests Betfred have also announced that a £2 million bonus will be on offer to connections of any horse which wins the ‘Betfred Triple Crown’ - the Betfred 2000 Guineas, Betfred Derby and Betfred St Leger. The Triple Crown has been won 15 times, although not since Nijinsky in 1970.
As well as sponsoring the 2000 and 1000 Guineas – which take place on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Saturday 3rd May and Sunday 4th May respectively next year - Betfred will also sponsor an additional seven races across the three days of the Betfred Guineas Festival.
Betfred founder Fred Done said: “Nobody has ever sponsored all five British Classics and I am so proud to be the first. I am honoured 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 Horse Racing.
“As The Bonus King, it only seems right that I should offer a bonus. Therefore, I am offering £2 million to any horse who wins the Betfred Triple Crown, consisting of the Betfred 2000 Guineas, Betfred Derby and Betfred St Leger.
“It hasn’t been done since Nijinsky back in 1970, and although Camelot came very close in 2012, it seems about time we were celebrating another Triple Crown winner.”
Amy Starkey, Managing Director of The Jockey Club, said: “We love working with Fred and all his team so we are absolutely thrilled that Betfred have become the new sponsors of the two iconic Classics staged on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, the 2000 and 1000 Guineas.
“We have already seen how Betfred’s tremendous enthusiasm and dynamism has elevated the Derby and Oaks at Epsom Downs 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.”
David Leyden Dunbar, Group Director of Commercial Strategy at ARC, which stages the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster, said: "Betfred have been a huge supporter of British Racing, so we are delighted to see them take over sponsorship of all five Classics from next year. The Triple Crown Bonus is a fantastic initiative, and one that we hope to be able to celebrate at the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster in the coming years."
Founded by Fred Done with a single betting shop in Salford in 1967 – when legendary trainer Sir Noel Murless and ace Australian jockey George Moore enjoyed a rare 2000/1000 Guineas double in the same year with Royal Palace and Fleet - Betfred has grown to become the largest independent bookmaker on the high street in the UK with 1,350 shops. It remains family owned, with Fred Done as Chairman of the Betfred Group. As well as having a significant online and mobile presence, it has expanded globally into South Africa and currently operates in several states in the USA.
Betfred maintains a varied sporting sponsorship portfolio including the Betfred Super League, Championship, and Challenge Cup in Rugby League, as well as the Women’s and Wheelchair equivalents. It is also the official partner of the England Rugby League team and has long-term sponsorships in golf, darts and football. The company is also the Official Bookmaker of Royal Ascot.
