Wexford brand O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey has announced its sponsorship of the renowned Leopardstown Chase at the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival. The race is an integral part of the festival, which takes place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Saturday, 3rd February and Sunday, 4th February next year. This new sponsorship will see O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey partner with Leopardstown Racecourse both on and off the racetrack.
The Leopardstown Chase is often a precursor to the Grand National, including for Minella Times who placed second in the Chase ridden by Rachel Blackmore in 2021 before going on to make history by winning the Grand National later that same year. The Leopardstown Chase (Sunday, 4th February 2024) is one of the oldest races in the country with the first race run in 1889. It is also a race that Arkle, one of Ireland’s most iconic national hunt horses, won three times in 1964, 1965 and 1966.
Pictured Shane Davey, O’Driscolls Irish Market Manager and Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse with ‘Watch House Cross’ at Henry De Bromhead’s yard for the announcement of O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey sponsorship of the Leopardstown Chase
Speaking from Henry de Bromhead’s yard which is located near the Stafford Bonded warehouses in Waterford, and joined by racehorse ‘Watch House Cross’, O’Driscolls Irish Market manager, Shane Davey said; “We are thrilled to come on board as the sponsor of this very special race in the Irish racing calendar which has introduced us to so many great racehorses from Arkle to Minella Times”.
Michael Stafford, owner of Stafford Bonded and MD of O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey said that “O’Driscolls was Inspired by my grandfather Diarmuid O’Driscoll - O’Driscolls is a beautifully blended Irish whiskey and is currently the only Irish owned Irish whiskey in the standard blend category. The adventurous spirit of O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey was founded on the pirate ships off the west coast of Ireland, and we are delighted to bring this brave and daring spirit onto the racecourse and the bars around the racecourse where Dublin Racing Festival racegoers will be able to sip and sample O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey over the weekend”.
O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey has an exceptional blend of golden grain and malted barley, triple distilled and aged at the Stafford Bonded Warehouse in bourbon casks for a minimum of 3 years that gives the signature smoothness of Irish whiskey.
Racegoers can expect two days of great racing at Leopardstown, with eight Grade 1 races and a prize fund of over €2,000,000 across the weekend.
Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse said of today’s announcement; “Both Leopardstown and O’Driscolls are brands steeped in Irish history and heritage. This new partnership with O’Driscolls is an exciting development for Dublin Racing Festival and we look forward to working with them during a top weekend for Irish National Hunt racing”.
The O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Chase takes place at Dublin Racing Festival on Sunday, 4th of February 2024.
Slán go fóill.