4 August 2010

The 20 Premiership teams that will be competing for the 2010 PFA Football Furlong trophy were officially unveiled on Monday evening at this year’s host venue – Royal Windsor Racecourse.

Premiership stalwarts Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea will as ever be represented, but fans will also be able to see newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackpool who will be competing for the Football Furlong trophy for the first time.

Spurs supremo – Harry Redknapp – was also unveiled as the event’s official ambassador, hailing: “there’s nowhere better than racing at Windsor – it’s always special there. I think the easiest way to find a winner will be for fans to pick their horses by their team’s colours – it might be easier than going on the horses form!”

Matthew Foxton-Duffy, Sales & Marketing Manager at Royal Windsor Racecourse said: “It’s fantastic to have Harry Redknapp on board and coming to Windsor on Sunday for Football Furlong day.  He is a legend in the football world and we are really looking forward to a great day of football activities and top class racing – we just hope Spurs can win the Football Furlong trophy for Harry too!”

The PFA-partnered Football Furlong event is the one day of the year when the sports of football and horse racing come together.  All the jockeys wear the representative generic colours of the 20 Premiership football clubs rather than the traditional silks of the owners of the horses they are riding. Horses and jockeys accrue points for the teams which go towards a league table throughout the day.

Football Furlong was first won by Tottenham Hotspur at the inaugural event in 2004. The London based clubs are well represented with Fulham, Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Spurs, who will all looking to win their first silverware of the season. 

Before racing begins at Royal Windsor Racecourse, the 2010 PFA Football Furlong Mascot Challenge will be run, with sporting mascots galloping along the final furlong of the racecourse. The first three mascots across the line qualify for a special penalty shootout against a top goalkeeper.

Gates open at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August at 12pm.  The first race is at 2.30pm.  Admission: £9 Silver Ring Enclosure; £17 Grandstand Enclosure; £23 Club Enclosure.  Racegoers under 18 free when accompanied by an adult. More details about Royal Windsor Racecourse can be found at www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk

ENDS

Photo Caption:

Invited racegoers pose in 2010-2011 Premiership team silks, with Scotty the Stag from Windsor & Eton FC

For further media information, please contact:

Rod Kohler 
Tel: 0207 928 9999
Mob: 07770 647662
Managing Director
Revolution Sports Marketing Group 

Kate Hills
Tel: 01342 834 800
Mob: 07813 947201
Director of Public Relations & Communications 
Arena Leisure Racing 

Disclaimer: Neither Football Furlong or any other parties associated with the event are authorised by or associated with any of the Clubs or The Premier League.

2 August 2010

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has made a shock start to the Premiership pre-season – by signing to the PFA Football Furlong.

Spurs fans need not worry – their supremo has only signed to be the Official Ambassador to the unique football-themed race day at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday 8 August and has no plans to leave the London club!

The PFA-partnered Football Furlong event is the one day of the year when the sports of football and horse racing come together.

All the jockeys wear the representative generic colours of the 20 Premiership football clubs rather than the traditional silks of the owners of the horses they are riding. Horses and jockeys accrue points for the teams which go towards a league table throughout the day.

Football Furlong was first won by Tottenham Hotspur at the inaugural event in 2004. The London based clubs are well represented with Fulham, Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Spurs, who will all looking to win their first silverware of the season. 

Redknapp said, “The PFA Football Furlong raceday is a great way for fans to back their teams before the season starts. It’s sure to be a cracking day out and great fun for all the supporters – there’s a free football masterclass, prizes for the best dressed fans and a mascot race – as well as six top class races”.

Before racing begins at Royal Windsor Racecourse, the 2010 PFA Football Furlong Mascot Challenge will be run, with sporting mascots galloping along the final furlong of the racecourse. The first three mascots across the line qualify for a special penalty shootout against a top goalkeeper.

Gates open at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August at 12pm.  The first race is at 2.30pm.  Admission: £9 Silver Ring Enclosure; £17 Grandstand Enclosure; £23 Club Enclosure.  Racegoers under 18 free when accompanied by an adult. More details about Royal Windsor Racecourse can be found at www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk

ENDS

For further media information, please contact:

Rod Kohler
Tel: 0207 928 9999
Mob: 07770 647662
Managing Director
Revolution Sports Marketing Group   

Kate Hills
Tel: 01342 834 800
Mob: 07813 947201
Director of Public Relations & Communications 
Arena Leisure Racing 

Disclaimer: Neither Football Furlong or any other parties associated with the event are authorised by or associated with any of the Clubs or The Premier League.

21 July 2010

ETX CAPITAL – the London-based financial spread betting firm – has completed a highly successful month-long partnership with Corney & Barrow Wine Bars. The campaign comprised a range of branding activities including exclusive sponsorship of each of the 13 bars’ television and projector screens for the duration of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals. The television branding was supported by promotional posters in each City bar.

As well as promoting the ETX Capital brand, Corney & Barrow’s clientele were given the chance to win a £2,500 account credit and runners-up prizes of £250 account credits with the leading financial spread betting firm, through business card drop boxes at each venue.

Stuart Lane, Head of Sales & PR at ETX Capital, said: “The World Cup partnership with Corney & Barrow Wine Bars has been fantastic for ETX Capital and has given us the opportunity to engage with and promote our brand name to their customers.

We are thrilled with the results and as a consequence of the month’s alliance with Corney & Barrow Wine Bars, ETX Capital has experienced a surge in new business, with a significant number of new accounts opened and general enquiries made.”

The promotion, which was managed by Revolution Sports Marketing Group, ran until Sunday, 11 July 2010. The names of the main prize winner and 13 runners-up are due to be announced on Monday, 19 July 2010.
 
ENDS
 
For further information, please contact:

Rod Kohler at Revolution Sports on 0207 928 9999
Stuart Lane at ETX Capital on 0207 392 1439

Notes to editors:

ETX Capital is a trading name of Monecor (London) Ltd. which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Eric Lamaze (CAN), winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen on Sunday, 18 July 2010, wearing the Green & Gold

20 July 2010

Olympic Jumping champion Eric Lamaze (CAN) has returned to the number one spot in the Rolex Rankings.
 
The Canadian, who took individual gold and team silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong, was ranked second in the world in February and March and was third in the April and May rankings. He is now back at the top of the rankings for the first time since February 2009.
 
Pius Schwizer (SUI), who has been world number one in the Rolex Rankings for the past five months, has now dropped down to second, with reigning European champion Kevin Staut (FRA) moving up one place to third. Rolex FEI World Cup™ champion Marcus Ehning (GER), who was in second in the May rankings, is now in fourth.

14 July 2010

THE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS’ ASSOCIATION (PFA) has become the new title partner of 2010’s Football Furlong – the unique football-themed raceday – at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August 2010.

The PFA Football Furlong is the one day of the year when the sports of football and horse racing come together.

All the jockeys wear the generic representative colours of the 20 Premiership football clubs rather than the traditional silks of the owners of the horses they are riding. Horses and jockeys accrue points for the teams which go towards a league table throughout the day.

Now in its fifth year, The PFA Football Furlong has previously been won by Tottenham Hotspur, Wigan, Arsenal and Middlesbrough. The South of England is well represented with Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, West Ham and Spurs amongst the clubs taking part. 

Christian Smith, Commercial Director of the PFA said, “The PFA Football Furlong is a great way for fans to back their teams before the season starts. It promises to be a great day’s racing and great fun for all the supporters and our sponsors and partners – there’s a free football masterclass by Chelsea FC Football in the Community, a mascot race, and six cracking horse races”.

Before racing begins at Royal Windsor Racecourse, the 2010 PFA Football Furlong Mascot Challenge will be run, with sporting mascots galloping along the final furlong of the racecourse. The first three mascots across the line qualify for a special penalty shootout against a top goalkeeper.

Gates open at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August at 12pm.  The first race is at 2.30pm.  Admission: £9 Silver Ring Enclosure; £17 Grandstand Enclosure; £23 Club Enclosure.  Racegoers under 18 free when accompanied by an adult. More details about Royal Windsor Racecourse can be found at www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk

ENDS

For further media information, please contact:

Rod Kohler      Tel: 0207 928 9999
Revolution Sports Marketing Group   Mob: 07770 647662
     

Kate Hills       Tel: 01342 834 800
Director of Public Relations & Communications Mob: 07813 947201
Arena Leisure Racing

FOOTBALL FURLONG was today officially launched at Royal Windsor Racecourse by top jockeys Kieren Fallon and Hayley Turner.

The event will see jockeys racing in the generic colours of the 20 Premiership football clubs rather than the traditional silks of the owners of the horses they are riding.
 
The horses and jockeys accrue points for the teams that they represent, which go towards a league table throughout the day’s racing. The team with the highest number of points after the sixth race on Sunday, 8 August 2010 will be crowned the 2010 Football Furlong champion.

Chelsea FC will be supporting the event through its Football in the Community programme by running free football masterclasses for up to 2,000 children at the racecourse before racing starts. There will also be a host of other football related activities including a penalty shoot out, human football tables and appearances from Premiership footballers and football personalities.

With all accompanied children under the age of 18 being admitted to the racecourse free of charge, and adult admission starting at just £9, it’s an affordable day out for all the family.
 
Matthew Foxton-Duffy, Sales & Marketing Manager at Royal Windsor Racecourse, said:
“Football Furlong is an extremely exciting prospect, which has proved very successful in recent years at Haydock Park and Leopardstown Racecourses. It is a groundbreaking initiative that has been added to the Royal Windsor Racecourse fixtures calendar, and we look forward to welcoming a new crowd of racing fans to the racecourse and to the sport.
 
“With the event being held on the same day as the FA Community Shield it will be great to see how Chelsea and Manchester United fare in a horseracing environment.”
 
Before racing begins at Royal Windsor Racecourse, the 2010 Football Furlong Mascot Challenge will be run, with sporting mascots galloping along the final furlong of the racecourse. The first three mascots across the line qualify for a special penalty shootout against a top goalkeeper.
 
Headline sponsorship is now available with overall event title naming rights, including jockey’s branding on the special football silks, providing significant brand awareness, promotional and VIP hospitality benefits.

Gates open at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday, 8 August at 12pm.  The first race is at 2.30pm.  Admission: £9 Silver Ring Enclosure; £17 Grandstand Enclosure; £23 Club Enclosure.  Racegoers under 18 free when accompanied by an adult. More details about Royal Windsor Racecourse can be found at www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk

Copyright free image. Caption: Top jockeys Kieren Fallon and Hayley Turner battle for 2010 Football Furlong Trophy being staged at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday 8 August 2010.

ENDS
 
For further information, please contact:

Matthew Foxton-Duffy, Sales & Marketing Manager at Royal Windsor Racecourse, on 01753 498 442; or Rod Kohler at Football Furlong on 0207 928 9999

6, May 2010

Dubai’s race to build the iconic Meydan horseracing development in time for the 2010 Dubai World Cup – featuring the richest horse race in the world – was a close finish, but never in doubt. On the eve of the inaugural 2010 event, Merrick Haydon spoke with Mohammad Al Khayat, Commercial Director of Meydan City Corporation.

Meydan City may only be at the start of a long journey but with the stunning staging of the US$26.25 million Dubai World Cup raceday in March this year, featuring the richest horserace in the world, it has left an indelible impression on the 60,000 spectators as well as the millions of race fans from around the world.

As a sports venue, its statistics are unparalleled and can be compared favourably against some of the world’s greatest stadiums. A grandstand that seats 60,000 plus spectators, a five-star trackside hotel, six haute-cuisine restaurants offering food from five continents, an IMAX cinema, and covered parking for up to 10,000 cars. For spectators therefore, the opportunity to enjoy the thrill of horseracing in such a uniquely luxurious setting is without equal anywhere in the world.

In time, Meydan City will encompass a golf course, a business park, an 80-berth Marina and various residential districts – all in a unique setting where business and pleasure will be designed to operate in harmony.

The man responsible for the worldwide marketing of the venue is Commercial Director, Mohammad Al Khayat. A graduate of Cass Business School, part of City University in London, Mohammad joined Meydan in 2007 when the horseracing development master plan was first launched.

“From the moment we launched in 2007, the focus has always been the 2010 Dubai World Cup, so the last two years have been very busy” explained Mohammad.

“Although I am responsible for the overall sales targets, marketing budgets and sponsorship management, the commercial team liaises with many different internal groups so our work is relevant to many departments within the company”.

While the final development will include many different aspects, equestrian sports will always be at the core of Meydan’s philosophy. Meydan not only stages the aforementioned Dubai World Cup, but also sponsors the FEI Nations Cup, the premier international outdoor show jumping competition as well as being the Endurance Competition sponsor for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

With the date for the completion of the Meydan project fixed for the 2010 Dubai World Cup, Mohammad and his marketing team were on an extremely tight schedule, with little room for error. “The primary concern was to achieve the correct marketing exposure for the event and support all our sponsors, from the day they came onboard until the actual event itself”, explained Mohammad.

“Within my department, the team is made up of eight core members, but in the lead-up to the Dubai World Cup, we employ temporary staff to help us out. As we’re undergoing restructuring, the marketing team currently falls under the scope of the Commercial Department”.

He went on to add, “There are currently 20 members who work within the five separate groups which make the marketing team; Sponsorship, Events, Hospitality and Sales, Marketing Communications and Branding, and PR. As this is a fast-track project, all the teams work together to ensure that the project gets finished on time”.
 
Showcases at the 2008 Shanghai Cityscape and the 2009 Cityscape Dubai were seen as the ideal opportunity to allow the public and potential partners alike the chance to engage hands-on with the unique development. In December 2009, a select group of 70 journalists from 30 countries were invited to take their first-ever look at the impressive racecourse and hospitality facilities which would be on display to the world only three months later.

From a sponsorship perspective, Meydan is able to offer some of the region’s leading brands an outstanding platform on which to build international awareness. The eagerly anticipated official launch of Meydan, in conjunction with the 2010 Dubai World Cup, makes this one of the biggest events in the UAE’s social and sporting calendar and attracts the horseracing elite from around the world.

“Our sponsors include Emirates Airlines, Dubai Duty Free, China Guangsha, The Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, Etisalat – Emirates Telecommunication Corporation, Gulf News, Emirates NBD and Land Rover. We work hard to maintain close relationships with each of them and speak on a daily basis in order to ensure all their needs are met”, said Mohammad. “In the cases of Emirates, Dubai Duty Free and Gulf News, they have been sponsors of the Dubai World Cup since its inception in 1996 and we are delighted that their partnership is still ongoing and is a testament to all our hard work”.

The key to completing a development of this size and scale on time has been communication. Although emails have become the 21st century tool for communicating, when instant decisions are needed, Mohammad and his team still rely on the telephone as the most direct means of communication. However, there is some concession to modernity as Mohammad pointed out, “We thank BlackBerry every day for their invention – we’re always on them!”

Long after the racing fans have left Meydan, the work will still go on for Mohammad and his team. With the Meydan Metropolis, a combination of sumptuous residential and commercial space, set to open in the second quarter of 2011, there is still plenty to do to and as ever, time is tight.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Merrick Haydon
Tel: 0207 928 9999
email: merrick@revolutionsports.co.uk

Royal Windsor Racecourse is seeking a headline sponsor to partner the Racecourse’s inaugural Football Furlong™ Raceday on Sunday, 8 August 2010. Football Furlong™ is a unique fusion of horseracing and football with jockeys racing in the generic shirt colours of the 20 English Premier League football clubs, and has been hosted at Haydock Park and Leopardstown Racecourses in previous years.

Headline sponsorship benefits include overall event title naming rights plus title ownership of five of the day’s races, covered by satellite channel At The Races with domestic distribution to over 12 million UK and Irish homes; significant branding on all event marketing and throughout the Racecourse; PA announcements on the day targeted at the 9,000 racegoers; substantial VIP hospitality in private, course-facing facilities at the beautiful riverside Racecourse; exclusive access to Premier League football stars and VIPs; partnership to be publicised in all pre-raceday literature and press releases.

Fantastic marketing, hospitality and sales promotion platform with PR cut through.

Contact Matthew Foxton-Duffy, Sales & Marketing Manager, 01753 498 442, matthew.foxton-duffy@windsor-racecourse.co.uk for further details.

For a detailed proposal please click on the following link:

RWR Football Furlong Proposal, May 2010 LR

6, April 2010

Following a hugely successful Cheltenham Festival, Jockey Club Catering – also official caterers at Aintree Racecourse – have been busy preparing for the John Smith’s Grand National meeting by undertaking ground-breaking local recruitment and customer service training.

On Saturday, 27 March 2010, the team within Jockey Club Catering, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, held a training day for over 1,000 new recruits who will work at the 2010 Grand National meeting on 8, 9 & 10 April 2010.

A total of 1,057 new recruits met at Aintree Racecourse to undertake customer service and skills training, resulting in a total of 6,000 hours of training.  It was also important for Compass to relay its required standard of personal presentation and uniform, and therefore visual demonstrations were provided during the day through live fashion show style workshops.

The 1,000+ people being trained for the John Smith’s Grand National meeting is an example of Jockey Club Catering taking the extra steps to enhance the raceday customer experience, as well as build team work amongst its staff.

Bob Reeves, Business Director for Racing, Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “The John Smith’s Grand National meeting is a major event in the Jockey Club Catering calendar and a huge operation just two weeks after the Cheltenham Festival. The training day at Aintree was a great success and is just one of the initiatives we are undertaking to help ensure all racegoers have an incredible time at all of our 14 Jockey Club Racecourses.

Jockey Club Catering is incredibly proud to source our entire temporary staff from the local area in which we operate as it also provides a valuable source of employment to the region.”

The training day at Aintree is something that Jockey Club Catering will look to repeat in the build-up to the other great festival meetings at its Jockey Club Racecourses, including the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom and Newmarket’s July Festival.

According to Jockey Club Catering, race fans at the Grand National meeting are expected to drink over 7,000 bottles of champagne, 5,000 cocktails, 220,000 pints of beer and 75,000 cups of tea and coffee at the racecourse’s 80 public bars. In addition, Jockey Club Catering’s 3,000 staff will serve 14,000 hospitality covers over the three-day meeting and use enough ice to fill two articulated lorries!

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler                                  Tel:     0207 928 9999
Revolution PR                             Mob:    07770 647 662

Liz Bastone                                 Tel:     01895 554426
Compass Group UK & Ireland       Mob:   07500 607965

Notes for Editors:

About Jockey Club Racecourses

Jockey Club Racecourses is part of the Jockey Club family. The Club’s trustee ownership ensures that the group’s profits are re-invested into racing.

Jockey Club Racecourses comprises a diverse portfolio of 14 courses. Major events and races staged at Jockey Club Racecourses include the Cheltenham Festival, the John Smith’s Grand National as well as four of the five Classics, including the Derby.

Because of the Jockey Club’s unique experience and heritage and the strength of the Group today, Jockey Club Racecourses are able to successfully deliver competitive and best-of-class horse racing; maximising profit and re-investing in the future to ensure the long-term and sustainable success of the business.

About Compass Group UK & Ireland

Compass Group UK & Ireland has partnered with Jockey Club Racecourses to provide an unrivalled variety of food services at over 350 fixtures a year as well as hosting numerous events throughout the year across the Jockey Club Racecourses portfolio of 14 courses.

Compass Group UK and Ireland is part of Compass Group plc, the world’s leading foodservice company. We specialise in providing food, vending and related services on our clients’ premises and we generated annual revenues of over £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009. The company operates across the following core sectors of Business & Industry, Defence, Offshore & Remote Site, Healthcare, Education, Sports & Leisure and Vending with an established brand portfolio.

For more information visit www.compass-group.co.uk

Jockey Club Catering, Aintree Recruitment Training Day – 27.3.10