William Hill Sponsors Grand National
Leading bookmaker William Hill has been named as the Official Betting Partner of the Randox Grand National Festival. The betting firm has signed a three-year deal with the world-famous handicap steeplechase. The news follows the signing of legendary jockey Barry Geraghty as a brand ambassador for William Hill.
William Hill already runs a number of on-course betting shops at the Liverpool track.
©Tom Fisk/Pexels
Three-Year Deal
Historic bookmaker William Hill has been confirmed as the Official Betting Partner of the Randox Grand National Festival after signing a three-year deal. The British betting firm is also set to sponsor three races broadcast by ITV over the course of the three-day festival at Aintree. The Grand National will take place from Thursday April 13th to Saturday April 15th.
As part of the deal, William Hill’s name has been honored in the three races. The William Hill Aintree Hurdle will take place on Thursday, followed by the William Hill Handicap Hurdle on Friday. The Grade 3 William Hill Handicap Chase will happen on Saturday, immediately before the headline Randox Grand National race.
William Hill already has an established presence at the race grounds, with a number of on-course shops for visitors to enjoy. The bookmaker has also revealed that it is the first betting firm to go ‘Non Runner, Money Back’ on the 2023 Randox Grand National. This means that punters will be refunded if their selection does not run. William Hill offered the same concession earlier this year at the Cheltenham Festival on January 1st.
The Jockey Club’s Dickon White explained why he thought William Hill was such a good much for Aintree. He described the bookmaker as synonymous with horse racing. Speaking on behalf of William Hill, Head of Sponsorship, Social and PR Daryl West was also pleased to announce the partnership. West stated:
“The Grand National Festival at Aintree is one of the pinnacles of the National Hunt calendar and we are delighted to be involved as the Official Betting Partner for the next three years. Horseracing is a vital part of our heritage, and it was an easy decision for us to support not just the biggest race in the sport but a huge event in the annual sporting calendar.”
Legendary Event
The Grand National is an annual National Hunt horse race held at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. The famous race has been run at the historic grounds since at least 1839. The date of the first official Grand National is still up for debate, although many historians believe that the first race was run 1836 and won by The Duke.
The Grand National was founded by Waterloo Hotel proprietor William Lynn. He leased land in Aintree from William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton, on which he built the course and grandstand. The first stone was laid on February 7th 1829.
It wasn’t until 1839 that the race was elevated from a local event to a national affair. This was in part thanks to gaps in the racing calendar, improved rail connections from Birmingham and London and the formation of a committee to improve the event’s organization. Top quality horses and riders were attracted to the event, bringing with them more press coverage and spectators.
Increasingly poor health led the event’s founder Lynn to lose interest in the Grand National over the following years. Edward Topham took over more of the decisions regarding the race, turning the chase into a handicap in 1843. He later took hold of the land lease in 1848 and the Topham family bought the course outright a century later.
During the First World War, Aintree Racecourse was taken over by the War Office for three years. A race was held in its stead at Gatwick Racecourse, a site on which Gatwick Airport was later built. 1928’s race went down in the history books for the lowest number of finishers. Just two riders completed the course after 41 of the 42 starters fell during the race.
The 1970s was a legendary era for the festival, during which Red Rum broke all previous records and remains the only horse to have won the title race three times. The winners of the 1981 Grand National, Bob Champion and Aldaniti, became the subject of classic film ‘Champions’. Against all odds, Champion overcame a terminal cancer diagnosis to ride his horse to victory. In 2021, Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the race, riding Minella Times.
Brand Ambassadors
With so many years of history behind it, it seems that there is no better fit for the Grand National than William Hill. The bookmaker’s roots can be traced back to 1934, when the business was first founded as a postal and telephone betting service. Almost ninety years later, the international betting and gaming group is a global leader in its industry.
The announcement of William Hill’s sponsorship comes off the back of a new brand ambassador for the bookmaker. Winner of the 2003 Grand National Barry Geraghty joins a stable of well-loved figures from horse racing, including Sir AP McCoy, Leonna Mayor and Nick Luck, in representing the gambling firm.
Former jump jockey Geraghty is now lending his horse racing insight to William Hill’s blog on a weekly basis, sharing stories and tips. Speaking at the end of January, the Irishman said that he was really excited to have signed with William Hill during the busiest time of year for the jump racing calendar.
Geraghty’s career boasts the second most Cheltenham Festival winners of any rider. After riding his first winner in 1997, he soon became the Irish Champion jump jockey. 2003 proved to a bumper year for Geraghty, during which he won the Grand National on Monty’s Pass and won five races at Cheltenham. At the time of his retirement in 2020, he was the fourth most successful British and Irish jump jockey, with 1920 winners under his belt.
This year’s Grand National is already looking to be an exciting one. The market is currently led by 2022 winner Noble Yeats at odds of 10/1. Last year’s second place runner up Any Second Now looks to be the next best bet, at odds of 14/1. As ever, anything could happen on the day as the Grand National has been host to more than its fair share of surprises.
