William Hill Sponsor Aintree’s Inaugural Boxing Day Races

The iconic Aintree Racecourse hosted its first-ever Boxing Day meeting, featuring the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle, previously known as the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle. This landmark event will be sponsored by leading bookmaker William Hill.

William Hill has committed to sponsoring six out of the seven races on the day’s card. This includes the debut of the Grade 1 William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, a race that gained considerable attention in 2022 when it was held as the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown and won by the acclaimed horse, Constitution Hill.

This new sponsorship expands William Hill’s involvement in horse racing, complementing their existing sponsorship at Wetherby. With this agreement, William Hill now supports 20 races over the 26th and 27th of December. Furthermore, this deal reinforces Aintree’s existing relationship with William Hill, who is already the official betting partner of the esteemed Grand National Festival.

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “While many are winding down for Christmas, the racing world is revving up. Boxing Day is always a massive day in the racing calendar and this year is even bigger with Aintree hosting its first ever 26th December meeting, which includes the inaugural running of the historic Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle as the Grade 1 William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle.

“Our place as the official betting partner of the Grand National Festival in April is a very important one and we’re delighted to be further expanding our relationship with Aintree. Boxing Day races tend to draw big crowds, which is one draw of being involved as a sponsor, while the Grade 1, which has a roll of honour including none other than Constitution Hill, is sure to play a starring role in the wider Christmas coverage of the sport.”