Sporting Index Ends Sponsorship Of Cheltenham's Cross-Country Races

Sporting Index has ended its long association with Cheltenham´s cross-country races after 12 years of sponsorship.

The sports spread betting firm has backed the unique races, run over a mixture of obstacles including banks, ditches, hedges and timber rails, since they were first introduced at Cheltenham in 1995.

Co Limerick handler Enda Bolger, who registered his first cross-country victory at Cheltenham with Fiftysevenchannels in 1997, has enjoyed great success over the banks and ditches in recent years, notably with his grand campaigner Spot Thedifference, who has six course wins in all under his belt, and has become a firm favourite of Cheltenham racegoers.

The gallant 14-year-old, partnered to all his Cheltenham triumphs by amateur rider John Thomas McNamara, was last seen finishing fourth behind stable companion Heads Ontheground in the Sporting Index Handicap Chase at The Festival on March 13. Earlier in the season, he won the two races over the cross-country course at The Open and the Boylesports International.

Runner-up in this year's Sporting Index Handicap Chase at The Festival was Silver Birch, trained by Gordon Elliott, who went on to land the John Smith´s Grand National at Aintree earlier this month.

At present there are three races a year that take place over the three-mile, seven-furlong cross-county course at Prestbury Park, at The Open in November, the following month at the Boylesports International fixture and at The Festival in March.

Wally Pyrah, PR Director at Sporting Index, said: 'We have enjoyed a wonderful 12 years of sponsorship at Cheltenham and are very proud to have been at the forefront of the development of one of the great spectacles in British racing.

'To have seen a horse like Spot Thedifference make the course his own was wonderful, while this year we had the future Grand National winner, Silver Birch, run in the Sporting Index Handicap Chase at The Festival. This demonstrates just how far cross-country racing has evolved since 1995.'

Peter McNeile, Director of Sponsorship at Cheltenham, said: 'We are very grateful to Sporting Index for their loyal support over so many years and for helping to put cross-country chasing on the map in this country.

'We will now begin talking to interested parties about the sponsorship and branding opportunities that these three wonderful races and the unique Cheltenham cross-country course present.'