Australia’s Centrebet International Limited has signed a five-year extension to remain as the exclusive naming rights sponsor of the Geelong Cup.
Last year, the Geelong Cup offered $225,000 in prize-money and any increase will be announced after a decision is made next month on the club’s application to have the October race elevated from Group Three to Group Two. This new sponsorship extension is being heralded as the largest corporate partnership secured by the Geelong Racing Club in its 146 year history.
Despite the actual value of the deal being undisclosed, club president Paul Bongiorno has described it in the press release as the largest corporate partnership ever signed by the club and broke new ground in regional Victoria.“We believe this is the largest sponsorship secured by a country club,” Bongiorno said.
Bongiorno added, “The club is thrilled that Centrebet will be its major partner for the next five years as we continue to build the Geelong Cup into a truly international race.”
Centrebet’s head of media Neil Evans said in the release that the Geelong Cup was one of the most progressive races in Australasia. “With the Cup, and housing the only all-weather synthetic racetrack in Victoria, we are extremely happy to stand alongside Geelong racing as its major partner and we have a unique vision planned…We are delighted to secure the naming rights for another five years.”
The Geelong Cup is held annually at the Geelong Racecourse on the fourth Wednesday of October, and was first run in 1872.
