Randox has today been announced as the sponsor of the Ulster National at Downpatrick Racecourse for the next five years.

Downpatrick Racecourse, winner of the ‘Sports Venue of the Year’ in both 2018 and 2019 at the Northern Ireland Hospitality Awards, hosts the €50,000 Randox Ulster National, on Sunday March 22, their flagship race day.

Randox, a global innovative healthcare diagnostics company, based in Crumlin, County Antrim, was founded in 1982 by medical scientist and keen horseman Dr Peter FitzGerald. The five-year sponsorship of the Ulster National sees Randox expand a racing sponsorship portfolio which includes the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree, and title sponsorship of the entire three-day Randox Health Grand National Festival at the Liverpool racecourse.

The Randox Ulster National is one of the most historic races on the racing calendar. Run over three miles and four furlongs, the race was first run in 1939 and has a long and illustrious history.

Caughoo won the 1945 and 1946 Ulster National before winning the 1947 Aintree Grand National for jockey Eddie Dempsey and Dublin-based trainer, Herbert McDowell. Laffy, owned by HRH Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, won the Ulster National in 1962 and Pineau De Re also won Downpatrick’s centre piece jumps race in 2013 and subsequently went on to win the Aintree Grand National the next season (2014).

Dr Peter FitzGerald, Randox Managing Director, commented;

“This is an incredibly exciting time to be partnering with Downpatrick Racecourse to add the Randox Ulster National to our racing portfolio. Racing is a sport everyone can enjoy, from all different walks of life, and a partnership with Downpatrick offers us a fantastic opportunity to share our message of preventative health with a wide and engaged audience. We look forward to the first year of the Randox Ulster National, to show our commitment to this wonderful sport and to encourage people to take control of their health and wellbeing with a Randox Health Check.”

Peter Stewart, Downpatrick Racecourse Chairman, said:

“We are really excited to partner with such a respected global brand as Randox for our most prestigious race meeting and look forward to working closely together to create a wonderful race day for our customers and achieve our shared objectives.

 “The Randox partnership will ensure we continue to attract high calibre horses for the Randox Ulster National and further endorse its important position on the racing calendar.”

For further information please contact Amy Millar in the Randox PR team by emailing: amy.millar@randox.com or phoning 028 9442 2413

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