Comer Group to sponsor Irish St Leger The Comer Group has agreed to sponsor the Irish St Leger for the next three years. They will use their support of the race to promote Palmerstown House Estate, a luxury hotel and golf resort located close to Naas in County Kildare, which they purchased last year. 2014 will mark the 100th running of the Group One Classic taking place at the Curragh on Sunday 14th September and the new sponsorship deal has ensured that there will be a substantial increase in total prize money for the race from 200,000 euro in 2013 to 300,000 euro this year, making it one of the richest races of its kind in Europe. The 14 furlongs contest will be one of the highlights on Day Two of Irish Champions Weekend, which features a fully sponsored star studded programme at the Curragh including the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes. Other races will include the Group 3 Flying Five Stakes, which will be sponsored by Derrinstown Stud for the first time, while Moyglare Stud will also add their name to the prestigious Group 2 Blandford Stakes for fillies and mares. Luke Comer, Chairman of the Comer Group said: “We are delighted and honoured to have been given the opportunity to sponsor this great Race and we look forward to a very exciting three years working with the Curragh Racecourse helping to ensure that The Irish St Leger remains one of the most prestige and important Classic Races in Europe”. Evan Arkwright, Commercial Manager of the Curragh Racecourse, commented: “We are very grateful to the Comer Group for their generous support of the Curragh and delighted to welcome such an exciting new sponsor to coincide with both the 100th running of the Irish St Leger and the inaugural Irish Champions Weekend. Our priority will be to attract the very best staying horses from Europe and ensure the race continues to be the premier trial in Europe for the Emirates Melbourne Cup”
