- This topic has 61 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 6 months, 3 weeks ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Baccy company sponsorship of sport was banned some years ago, in the UK at least; but booze companies are still permitted
Vape companies seem to be exempt: Totally Wicked sponsor Blackburn Rovers FC and St.Helens RFC
It is surprising that tobacco companies are banned yet alcohol and betting sponsorship is still allowed……not sure where the logic in that thinking is to be honest.
All are serious vices/addictions absolutely, yet only one is banned and quite frankly it is the one that you could argue is the lesser of the three with regards to having more immediate consequences to an individual.
As we know drinking can easily lead to drunk behaviour and/or violence that puts either yourself and/or others in physical danger (which could easily end up being life threatening) and gambling can quite easily/quickly get you heavily into debt to where you may start to use criminal behaviour (stealing etc) or ill advised loans in order to get more money to gamble, which can lead you into the more murky parts of criminal life.
That being said, we all well know just how catastrophic it would be for racing if bookies were banned from being able to partake in any form of sponsorship (be it individual races or Festivals).
Aside from old race names, it was good to see some famous racing colours on display at Ayr yesterday.
Lady Jane Kaplan had a runner in two of the races. She is the great granddaughter of the 5th Earl of Rosebery, one of the major owner/breeders of the late 19th/early 20th century. He owned three Derby winners: Ladas (1894), Sir Visto (1895) and Cicero (1905). The first two was when he was Prime Minister, a unique accomplishment amongst occupants of 10 Downing Street.
Lady Jane uses his racing colours: primrose and rose hoops with a rose cap. Unfortunately neither of her runners yesterday carried them to victory.
Rosebery was an undistinguished Prime Minister, apparently finding the daily business of politics boring, unseemly and beneath him. Winston Churchill quipped “He would not stoop, he did not conquer”.
All Gd1/Gp1 races should be known by their actual race names, none of this ‘sponsors only’ name rubbish. The 2m5f Nov Hdle at Cheltenham has had 3 different names in the last six months……A loss of sponsor, then it’s actual title, and now a new sponsor; it’s the Baring Bingham…….Gallacher are merely the sponsor.
There’d be uproar if the 3yo 1m4f race at Epsom was called the Betfred Stakes…..
How long has Baring Bingham been the official/registered/traditional name for this race?
It was first run in 1971 as the Aldsworth Hurdle, then from 1974-2006 as the Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle – which to many of us of a certain age on this forum is the ‘traditional’ name – and under various names since
Gallagher Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle anyone?
‘Sun Alliance’ were the sponsor, not the race name. It’s as bad as cycling teams changing names when sponsors change.
Er…yes, hence my attempt at a witticism by appending Gallagher to Sun Alliance. In the same vein I could proffer the Bet365 Whitbread Gold Cup
Just making the point that on occasions a race with the name of a longstanding sponsor becomes de facto the ‘traditional’ title we all know and love
Hence my query about the ‘registered’ name Baring Bingham, which I’m fairly sure hasn’t been used for long; infact until I discovered that it’s the name of a former bigwig at Chelters I thought it was just yet another sponsor
I quite agree that a succession of different sponsors’ names renders a familiar race anonymous
And also when the ‘traditional’ sponsor name disappears the race itself seems to sink into relative obscurity
perfect example …… The Hennessey
the race is still being run but it seems like it’s now just another handicap on a Saturday
Newbury still at it, with their ‘registered as’ nonsense. WTF is the Surprise Stakes? Just call it by it’s proper name, the John Porter Stakes, same with the Fred Darling…..
Finest surprise stakes
Prizes handed out by Cilla BlackBlackbeard to conquer the World
Couldn’t agree more – the Powers bang on about what a massive thing the heritage of British racing is yet will happily allow these long standing ‘actual’ race names to be moved to an after thought with the moniker ‘registered as’ like that will make a difference.
I mean John Porter himself only trained 3 Triple Crown winners, 23 Classics winners (including 7 Derby winners) and……..oh was a founder of Newbury bloody racecourse itself – if anyone deserve to have a race named after him and for it to remain the ‘actual’ name of the race then it is him.
The Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise John Porter Stakes and the Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes……..not difficult is it, especially considering the Greenham still retains it’s named status and has its sponsor as ‘Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot’ attached to the front it.
Newbury seems to be a repeat offender in this regard as we also now have the Denford Stakes (aka Washington Singer Stakes) and Al Rayyan Stakes (aka Aston Park Stakes) on the list too.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.