Barastoc High Performance to Drive Harness Racing’s Grand Circuit Further
Premium horse feed brand Barastoc is to sponsor harness racing’s rich Grand Circuit series throughout Australasia.
The Australasian Harness Racing Grand Circuit, now to be known as the Barastoc Grand Circuit, is an annual seven-month series of harness races throughout Australia and New Zealand carrying total prize money of more than $5 million.
It includes every Group 1 harness race in Australia and New Zealand for both pacing and trotting horses.
“We are proud to become the naming rights sponsor for the Grand Circuit for season 2007-2008 with the option to extend the sponsorship into the future,” the Chief Executive Officer of Ridley AgriProducts, the owner of the Barastoc brand, Mr. Sandy Murdoch, said today.
“At the end of the series the ultimate winners will also be crowned the Barastoc Grand Circuit Pacing Champion and the Barastoc Grand Circuit Trotting Champion for 2007-2008 and receive new Barastoc trophies cast to celebrate their victories.
“The harness racing industry is embarking on a master plan to reinvigorate harness racing with the Barastoc Grand Circuit series, including its showpiece event, the Watpac Inter Dominion Championships, following the recent Equine Influenza setbacks.
“We are excited at the prospect of assisting with promoting these series”.
“This partnership with the harness racing industry follows on from our other highly successful Barastoc horse sponsorships such as the annual Barastoc (Showing) Horse of the Year event, now in its 39th year, and earlier in 2007 the Polo Crosse World Cup.
“Barastoc has been providing nutritional advantage for harness racing horses to perform. Now we’re providing a little added incentive!”
The Chairman of the Australian Harness Racing Council, Mr. Geoff Want, said today: “The AHRC is thrilled that Barastoc share our vision for the Barastoc Grand Circuit and that we have the opportunity to work together in this way.
“Barastoc is a high-performance horse feed brand, and that sits perfectly with the Barastoc Grand Circuit - which is a high-performance harness racing series.
“We are sure that this sponsorship will prove to be very fruitful for harness racing and Barastoc and look forward to it becoming a long-term association.”
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For any inquiries, telephone Joe Sewell at Barastoc on 0427 576247 or email jsewell@ridley.com.au, or AHRC national media advisor Geoff Harris on 0407 566 507 or email GHarris@ahrc.harness.org.au