The Derby sponsored by gambling firm after blue chip name search fails

The Derby at Epsom, Britain’s most historic and prestigious Classic, will be sponsored by a gambling company for the first time after Jockey Club Racecourses (JCR) agreed a three-year deal with Betfred, which operates 1,400 betting shops in addition to an online betting and gaming business. The contract also includes the Oaks, the feature event on the opening afternoon of the two-day Derby Festival, which begins on 2 June.

JCR had been looking for a sponsor for the Epsom Classics since Cazoo, a used-car sales website, said last August it was ending its association with the Derby and Oaks after two years.

In the past, JCR has seemed keen to secure non-gambling sponsors for the Derby and Grand National, its showpiece Saturday events, to reflect their high public profile, but it appears to have conceded defeat in its latest search for a blue chip name to replace Cazoo.

This year’s Derby will be the 244th running of a race that has spawned many similar contests around the world since it was first staged in 1780. With a prize fund of £1.5m, it will be the UK’s most valuable race.

“As a bookmaker with a long and established history in horse racing and numerous other sports, I’ve worked with Fred [Done, the firm’s founder] and Betfred for more than 20 years and know how deeply committed they are to British racing,” Amy Starkey, JCR’s managing director, said on Tuesday.

“Betting has been integral to the Derby since its inception in 1780, when even the name of the race was decided on a coin toss. With 1,400 shops across the UK, I’m excited that Betfred will be able to help us promote these prestigious races on high streets up and down the country.”

Done launched his firm with a single betting shop in Salford in 1967 and his