Howden, the global insurance group, have announced two new horse racing sponsorships with Victoria Racing Club (VRC) in Australia and The Bahrain Turf Club (BTC), reinforcing its commitment to the global equine market and strengthening its connection to horse racing.
Howden is an established insurance broker to the racing industry, with a market leading equine division that provides solutions to equestrian associations, racecourses, racehorse trainers, stud farms and bloodstock, riding schools, livery yards, and horse owners.
Howden will become the Official Insurance Partner of the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), its first racing sponsorship in the country, which hosts the iconic Melbourne Cup Carnival, and will be the named sponsors of the Group 1 Howden Australian Guineas (1600m), Australia’s premier autumn three-year-old race.
Howden is in its third year sponsoring at The Crown Prince’s Cup meeting and will become platinum partner of the Bahrain Turf Series, which includes five fixtures delivering $880,000 in prize money and will also see Howden sponsoring two races at The Crown Prince’s Cup meeting, taking place on 2 February 2024.
Steve Rosich, CEO, Victoria Racing Club, commented: "The VRC is delighted to have Howden join the list of VRC partners and become the club’s official insurance partner until at least 2026.
“The Howden Australian Guineas Day is one of the best Group 1 days on the racing calendar at Flemington. We thank Howden for their support of events at Australia’s premier racecourse as well as the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, which takes the magic of the $600,000 trophy to people across Australia and the world.”
David Howden, Founder and CEO of Howden, said: “We’re now into our third year sponsoring at The Crown Prince’s Cup meeting in Bahrain and given the success to date are delighted to further expand our sponsorship programme with The Bahrain Turf Club. We opened our Bahrain office earlier this year, are fully invested in the Kingdom and wider region, working towards building one of the leading insurance brokers to service clients here.
“The Victoria Racing Club is renowned the world over and it’s a privilege for Howden to be affiliated with a racing jurisdiction steeped in such history.
“The partnerships reinforce our passion and commitment to the equine world and bring immense excitement and opportunity, both to the Howden brand and our wider business development ambitions, as we continue to build the Howden brand through global racing events.”
Howden has already made considerable investments in horse racing and supports clients from the grassroots to the elite levels. Its CEO, David Howden, has invested in British Eventing through the Howden Way, which encompasses a training programme for young riders of all levels along with a young horse talent pathway programme, and is the president of the Cornbury House Horse Trials. Howden is also an official partner of Ascot Racecourse, strengthening its connection to the equine community and enabling it to better understand and respond to the risk challenges it faces.
Adam Knights, CEO, Howden Bahrain commented: "Our collaboration with the Bahrain Turf Club commenced in 2021, and throughout the past two seasons we have witnessed remarkable progress in the field of horse racing in Bahrain and the GCC region. The Bahrain Turf Club and Howden share a profound enthusiasm for horse racing and its ability to unite people.
“Having recently established a presence in Bahrain, we are thrilled to be associated with an organization like the Bahrain Turf Club, which is making substantial investments in the sport's infrastructure, and we eagerly anticipate the upcoming 2023-2024 race season and look forward to a fruitful partnership with the Bahrain Turf Club going forward."
Yusuf Buheji, CEO, Bahrain Turf Club added: “We are delighted that Howden have signed a two-year extension to their partnership with the Bahrain Turf Club as our Bahrain Turf Series Platinum Partner. We look forward to working with them during this exciting time for their brand.
“As a new business in Bahrain, Howden has recognised that working with the BTC allows it to grow its presence in the region through branding opportunities and hospitality offering. The two races Howden sponsor on Crown Prince’s Cup Day in February 2024 will create new business opportunities in this rapidly growing market.”
