Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Racecourses has announced a new partnership with Wexford-based O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey which delivers priority pouring rights at all four HRI-owned racecourses – Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan and Tipperary…
Following a series of recent successes in securing both race and non-racing partnerships, HRI Racecourses has signed a three-year agreement with the wholly Irish owned Wexford brand. In addition to the existing sponsorship of the O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Chase on Day 2 of Dublin Racing Festival (Feb 3rd and 4th), this partnership will extend branding and pouring rights across all four HRI Racecourses and deliver experiential pop-ups at each location.
O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey, bonded by Stafford Bonded in County Wexford, is the only Irish-owned Irish whiskey in the standard blend category. For over a century, Staffords Bonded has been providing whiskey management solutions to distilleries. The O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey brand is a tribute to Stafford’s ancestors from Baltimore, West Cork, where the O’Driscolls were one of the strongest clans in Ireland, with various castles in the region and surrounding islands.
Commenting on the partnership, Paul Dermody, CEO HRI Racecourses said:
“We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey and to assist them in exploring opportunities to introduce their brand to new customers across our racecourses,” he said.
Vicki Donlon, Commercial Manager, HRI Racecourses, adds, “We look forward to collaborating with O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey across our four HRI Racecourses, through event activations alongside integrating it into our food and beverage offerings it will further elevate our customer experience throughout the racing calendar.
Owner of Stafford Bonded and MD of O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey, Michael Stafford, told Wexford Weekly that:
“The partnership with Horse Racing Ireland Racecourses is an excellent fit for us, and we were thrilled to have the HRI team visit our warehouse here in Wexford, which is located close to several prominent yards in the county. Inspired by my grandfather Diarmuid O’Driscoll and the adventurous spirit of my ancestors, we are delighted to bring this brave and daring spirit onto the HRI Racecourses and into the bars, where racegoers can sip and sample our whiskey as they enjoy their racing experience,” Michael said.
O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey, with its blend of golden grain and malted barley, triple distilled and aged in bourbon casks for a minimum of 3 years, offers the signature smoothness of Irish whiskey.
Dublin Racing Festival takes place at Leopardstown on Saturday, 3rd, and Sunday, 4th February, featuring eight Grade 1 races and a prize fund of over €2,000,000 across the weekend.
