Virgin Bet Elevates Recognition for Grooms at Ayr Gold Cup Festival
Virgin Bet is marking its third year as the sponsor of the prestigious three-day Ayr Gold Cup festival with a heartwarming gesture aimed at the often unsung heroes of horse racing – the hardworking grooms. In a departure from tradition, Virgin Bet has decided to revamp the “Best Turned Out” prize for all nine races it sponsors, acknowledging the dedication and effort these grooms invest in preparing the horses.
This year, for the very first time, Virgin Bet will celebrate all 25 grooms who have tirelessly worked behind the scenes in the lead-up to the iconic Virgin Bet Gold Cup race. The winner of the “Best Turned Out” award will receive £200, doubling the prize money compared to 2022. Additionally, the remaining 24 non-winning grooms will each be awarded an unprecedented £50 as runners-up.
Beyond the Ayr Gold Cup, Virgin Bet is increasing the “Best Turned Out” award prize for all the races it sponsors throughout the festival. As an extra special incentive, all the winning grooms will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an exclusive “Virgin Experience Voucher” worth £1,000.
As the three-day festival kicks off on Thursday, September 21st, Virgin Bet has also pledged to donate the winnings from the Ayr Gold Cup race to Ayrshire Cancer Support, the official charity partner of Ayr Racecourse.
Ric Leask, Marketing Director at Virgin Bet, expressed the brand’s enthusiasm for its third consecutive sponsorship of the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup Festival. He highlighted the importance of recognizing the dedicated individuals behind the scenes at Ayr Racecourse and how these new initiatives aim to honor them. Leask also emphasized the significance of the Ayr Gold Cup Festival in the Scottish and UK racing calendars.
David Brown, Managing Director of Ayr Racecourse, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the positive impact of Virgin Bet’s partnership on both the festival’s success and the community that supports it. Together with Virgin Bet, he looks forward to another remarkable festival that celebrates and rewards the dedicated individuals who make it all happen.
