Darley confirms it has renewed its long-standing partnership with Australia's largest race club, the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), until 2025.
Darley is the thoroughbred stallion division of Godolphin, a global horse racing operation spanning all the major racing continents from Dubai to Europe, Australia, Japan and America. With stallion farms in Australia at Kelvinside in NSW and Northwood Park in Victoria, Darley stands 18 stallions, all Group 1 winners. For two decades, Darley's partnership with the VRC has been instrumental in supporting the Australian racing and breeding industry.
Darley has continuously shown its dedication to sponsoring races of significance and once again, it will be the major sponsor of the $3 million G1 Darley Champions Sprint (1200m) on TAB Champions Stakes Day - the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The Darley Champions Sprint has a history of unearthing champions, including their very own Bivouac, who was crowned the World Champion Sprinter and won his final G1 race at Flemington before retiring to stallion duties.
In addition to the G1 Darley Champions Sprint, Darley is proud to sponsor pre-Christmas two-year-old Stakes races, such as the $200,000 G3 Darley Ottawa Stakes (1100m) for fillies on Oaks Day and the $200,000 G3 Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) on Melbourne Cup Day, both held during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Darley will also have naming rights to the $175,000 Listed Darley Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) to be run in early October 2023.
VRC Chief Executive Steve Rosich welcomed the extension of the Darley partnership.
“Darley is a world-leading breeding operation, and we thank them for their continued support of the VRC including the world-class racing program at Flemington,” Mr Rosich said.
“The Darley Champions Sprint was elevated to $3 million last year and sits proudly on our revamped TAB Champions Stakes Day program which offers an electric grand finale to the Melbourne Cup Carnival.”
Andy Makiv, head of sales for the Darley stallions, emphasised the commitment by Darley to the Australian industry, saying:
“As a global stallion brand, we have been associated with the VRC since 2004 and are delighted to sign on with Australia’s premier race club for a further three-years.”
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of the world’s great carnivals and Darley feels privileged to be so heavily involved in the week not only as partners through our sponsorship of three races across three days but also as participants by way of Godolphin runners and other Darley sired runners.”
