Oh, the 'brand' is without a sponsor...In this day and age when it's all about 'the brand', it seems not too many sponsors are keen to put their name to 'brand Doncaster Mile'. The Age reports that Sydney's flagship race is without financial backing from a sponsor only weeks from the beginning of the autumn carnival. It says the 'cash-strapped Australian Turf Club' is looking for companies to take up the naming rights on two other Grp 1s at Royal Randwick. The redevelopment of Randwick has seen
Oh, the 'brand' is without a sponsor...In this day and age when it's all about 'the brand', it seems not too many sponsors are keen to put their name to 'brand Doncaster Mile'. The Age reports that Sydney's flagship race is without financial backing from a sponsor only weeks from the beginning of the autumn carnival. It says the 'cash-strapped Australian Turf Club' is looking for companies to take up the naming rights on two other Grp 1s at Royal Randwick. The redevelopment of Randwick has seen Emirates drop its Doncaster sponsorship, leaving the ATC negotiating with several major brands to take naming rights for one of its biggest days.
The worrying aspect of this report, of course, is that it points to the Australian Turf Club - that grand amalgamation of the AJC and STC - being 'cash strapped'. Well, if it is, isn't it yet another indictment of Sydney racing? How on earth can the Club be cash-strapped? What is going on? Or not going on?
Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed heads noms for what shapes as an outstanding Australia Day card at Caulfield onThursday. The Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas-trained mare returns to the scene of her greatest triumph when she launches an Australian Cup campaign in the $100,000 John Dillon Stakes (1400m), one of four Listed events on the eight-race card. It will be the four-year-old's first appearance since finishing fourth in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), two week after scoring Caulfield Cup glory.