Tote Ireland named Punchestown Gold Cup sponsor
Race will now be known as thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup, promoting Tote Ireland's online pool betting website.
Tote Ireland is the new sponsor of the Punchestown Gold Cup, one of the country’s top staying chases, it has announced.
The race will now be called the thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup, promoting Tote Ireland’s online pool betting website. The 2012 Gold Cup is valued at 140,000 with 85,400 going to the winner. The race has recently been highlighted as a possible option for 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run and attracts the majority of Ireland’s leading staying chasers.
Dick O’Sullivan, manager of Punchestown said he was “delighted” to welcome the Tote as title sponsors of the Gold Cup on Festival Wednesday. “The race will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the Festival week and we were delighted to see that it remains a possible target for Long Run.”
The 3m 1f Grade 1 Gold Cup is the flagship staying chase of the Punchestown Festival and takes place on Wednesday 25 April. Entries for the Gold Cup close on 4 April with potential challengers including Nicky Henderson’s Long Run and Riverside Theatre, Quel Esprit for Willie Mullins, Quito De La Roque for Colm Murphy and Rubi Light for Robbie Hennessy.
The 2011 Punchestown Gold Cup saw a thrilling finish with the Tom Doyle ridden Follow the Plan triumph for Oliver McKiernan ahead of the Dessie Hughes trained Vic Venturi, with Cheltenham 2012 Champion Jockey Barry Geraghty on board.