The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horseracing, today announced that number one adult soft drink brand J20 will become the title sponsor of a new summer flat race series, following an agreement between Jockey Club Racecourses and Britvic Soft Drinks Limited.
The nine race stayers series will be known as the 'J2O White Blend Summer Series', run from 6 August to 25 September 2010 at eight Jockey Club Racecourses: Haydock Park (two fixtures), Nottingham, Sandown Park, Carlisle, Newmarket, Warwick, Epsom Downs and Kempton Park.
The competition will climax with the 'J2O White Blend Summer Series Final' at Haydock Park Racecourse on Saturday 25 September 2010, which is scheduled to be televised live on Channel 4 and specialist channel Racing UK.
As part of the deal, Britvic Soft Drinks Limited will receive a package of rights, including branding on trackside signage, the presentation podium, number cloths, winners' blankets and media materials; advertising on the big screen and in the racecard; allocated tickets; hospitality facilities; and associated marketing rights. The company will also present a cash reward to the stable staff member in charge of the 'Best Turned Out' horse in each race.
Britvic Soft Drinks Limited is already a Jockey Club Racecourses 'pouring partner', supplying soft drinks and mixers to Jockey Club Catering, which is a joint venture between the racecourse group and Compass.
Jonathan Gatward, Brand Director, Britvic Soft Drinks, said: "We are very excited to be partnering with The Jockey Club this summer. It represents a great platform to broaden the awareness of our new light and refreshing J2O White Blend range, a product that we hope many race fans will be enjoying as much as the racing this summer."
Paul Fisher, Chief Operating Officer of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: "It's fantastic to be working with Britvic on this exciting flat race series, which takes our existing relationship to a new level. Racing is Britain's second most popular attendance sport and offers great value to commercial partners and a big opportunity to see strong returns on their investment.
"Recognised brands like Britvic and its J2O White Blend range can make all the difference in helping to market our sport to new customers, while supporting its financial health."
About The Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is at the heart of racing in Great Britain as the largest commercial group in the sport. Its group interests include:
Jockey Club Racecourses: Responsible for the operation of a diversified portfolio of 14 racecourses in Great Britain. The group stages four of the five 'Classics' (the Derby and the Oaks at Epsom Downs and the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket), as well as the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National at Aintree.
Jockey Club Estates: The property and land management company responsible for the management and administration of more than 5,000 acres of land in and around the racing training centres of Newmarket and Lambourn, as well as an extensive property portfolio, including the original Jockey Club Rooms.
The National Stud: Transferred from Government to The Jockey Club in 2008, the National Stud is a commercial thoroughbred breeding enterprise with a commitment to provide training and educational programmes.
Racing Welfare: A racing charity and company limited by guarantee with The Jockey Club being the sole member. The principal objective of Racing Welfare is to provide help to those in need who work or have worked in the thoroughbred industry, and their dependants.
In accordance with its objectives in the Royal Charter, The Jockey Club re-invests its profits and promotes measures to sustain and enhance the long-term success of the sport.
About Britvic Soft Drinks
Britvic plc is one of the UK's leading soft drinks manufacturers and is dedicated to creating and building brands such as Pepsi, Robinsons, Tango and J2O into household names. Operating in both the 'Take Home' and 'On-Premise' markets, it is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks and the number two supplier of branded carbonates. The company offers its customers a portfolio of soft drinks to meet every consumer occasion and need and has a strong track record of delivering successful innovation. It is also currently the leading supplier of soft drinks to the licensed channel.
Britvic enjoys a successful, long-standing relationship with PepsiCo, as the bottler and distributor of PepsiCo's key carbonated brands, Pepsi and 7UP, as well as Gatorade, V Water, Lipton Ice Tea and most recently, Mountain Dew Energy. Britvic's relationship with Pepsi began in 1987, when the company was awarded the UK franchise. The EBA (Exclusive Bottling Agreement) was successfully renewed with PepsiCo in 2004.
About J2O White Blend
The J2O juice range is now worth £174m per year in the UK and is the number one adult soft drink. In May 2010, Britvic introduced a new 'J2O White Blend' range, with two variants, White Grape & Kiwi and a Red Grape & Blackcurrant, having worked closely with wine and food pairing expert Chris Scott to create the perfectly blended drink available at the same price as the core range.
The J2O White Blend flavours work well with a variety of foods. White Grape & Kiwi works well with white meats and more savoury and salty snacks, whilst Red Grape & Blackcurrant with its fruitiness and spicy notes complements stronger, more complex foods.
For further information:
If you require further information or wish to make a request to speak to a spokesperson for The Jockey Club, please contact Scott Bowers, Group Director of Communications, The Jockey Club, on +44 7809 665 840 or email scott.bowers@thejockeyclub.co.uk.
To reach the Britvic Soft Drinks Press Office, please contact +44 1245 261 871 or email marisa.fitch@britvic.co.uk or one of the Publicity team on +44 1441 261 199 or email britvic@publicasity.co.uk.
Tuesday 14th September
Raceday
2:30PM