Musselburgh looking for 2012 sponsor

Scotland’s third richest horse race has started the hunt for a sponsor in 2012.

The Edinburgh Cup which is run at Musselburgh on Derby Day, is just behind the Ayr Gold Cup and Scottish Grand National in terms of prize money. The inaugural Edinburgh Cup run last year attracted top class entries from the UK’s leading stables, and produced a top class winner in the William Haggis trained Harris Tweed.

The boss of Musselburgh Racecourse, Bill Farnsworth, has made clear that his ambition is to increase the £80,000 race up to the £100,000 mark.  Farnsworth believes that as Channel 4’s premier meeting next weekend, that it could attract the interest of a major sponsor.

Mr Farnsworth said: “We are delighted the Tote saw the value in supporting the Edinburgh Cup and we are looking for a partnership to continue the race sponsorship in 2012 and beyond, which can help realise our ambitions of making this a £100,000 race.

“As the second richest Scottish flat race of the season, it pulls in entries from all the top stables and has created a lot of interest in the industry. The Epsom Derby is later in the day and the Edinburgh Cup is the feature handicap, on a day when racing is firmly in the public spotlight.  With Channel 4’s continued backing we think it is a very attractive proposition for a major bookmaker chain or similar high profile business.”

Farnsworth has taken the somewhat unconventional route of advertising for a sponsor. He said: “We can’t sit on our hands and have to be innovative in how we conduct our business. If an advert generates interest in this premium race and we secure a three year agreement then it will be well worth it.

“This is a significant fixture in the flat racing calendar and we keen to build on the early success of the Edinburgh Cup which has greatly benefited from the excellent support of the Tote.”

With the Scottish Sprint Cup supporting the feature race, Edinburgh Cup Day at Musselburgh will boast a total prize fund in excess of £200,000 in 2012.