Dubai Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has announced that it will renew sponsorship of the Irish Derby Festival at The Curragh Racecourse for three more years until 2015 with an option to extend by two years thereafter.
Theinitial three-year agreement would take the event up to its 150th anniversary and apart from the Irish Derby, DDF will also support five other races on derby day.
DDF first sponsored its flagship race in 2008 and has been credited with growing the three-day festival into one of the most hotly anticipated events on the European racing calendar.
As well as the race on June 30, DDF will also continue support to the DDF Irish Derby Golf Classic and the DDF Irish Derby Ball, as well as the Good Food Ireland Village, in the days leading up to the event.
Colm McLoughlin, executive vice-chairman of DDF, said: “The promotion of sport has long been part of Dubai Duty Free’s marketing strategy of raising the profile of our brand and of Dubai itself and we are pleased with the level of exposure that we continue to generate in both the print and broadcast media for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
“We are delighted to extend our sponsorship for a further three years, with an option for an additional two, and look forward to working with The Curragh to grow this event even further.”
President of Dubai Duty Free, George Horan, added: “Since 2008 our sponsorship of the Irish Derby Festival has been extremely positive for us. The Irish Derby is one of the most important racing festivals in the world and we are pleased to be a part of that.
“The events that have grown up alongside the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival involve the wider community to a great extent and we are looking forward to this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and to the years to come.”
