The fact that the Cheltenham Festival is one of the most famous race meetings in the world means that sponsors are often keen to be involved in it in whatever way they can. If they are able to sponsor one of the big races then that is even better, so you can understand the clamour for companies to take on the honour of sponsoring the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Blue Riband event is considered to be one of the most important races in the sport, being the jewel in the crown of the National Hunt. It is entirely appropriate, therefore, that it is a jewellery company that is the main sponsor of the biggest race of the Festival.
Boodles took on sponsorship duty for the Gold Cup in 2022, which went down in history thanks to the fact that Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the race in its long and illustrious past. The confirmation that Boodles would extend their sponsorship of the Gold Cup came ahead of the centenary running of the event, which took place for the first time in 1924. Boodles has been associated with the Cheltenham Festival since 2014, which was when the company sponsored the Leading Jockey Award, taking on sponsorship duty for a number of different races since then and now becoming an official partner of the Jockey Club.
Who are Boodles?
A family company located in Liverpool, Boodles was founded in 1798 and has since grown to have stores in the likes of Manchester, London, Dublin and Chester. Initially known as Boodle and Dunthorne, in 1910 the company was amalgamated with the owners of another Liverpool-based jeweller in the form of the Wainwright family. The company’s expansion began in 1965 which was when a second store was opened in Chester. It took nearly 20 years for the third store to be opened, with the Manchester branch coming along in 1982. A decade later and Nicholas and Michael Wainwright took over the company from their father.
It was under the stewardship of Nicholas and Michael that the London stores were opened, with the first one being opposite Harrods. That later moved to number one Sloan Street, with a plan to open another store at number six Sloane Street in 2017. A second store did open on Regent Street, with that one moving to Bond Street and becoming the company’s flagship store. Initially a silversmith and watchmaker, the company’s first foray into the world of horse racing came with the creation of a solid gold trophy that was awarded to the winner of the Grand National. Boodles has produced bespoke jewellery since the second half of the 20th century.
Boodles & the Jockey Club
The involvement of Boodles with the Cheltenham Festival has been in place since the company sponsored the Leading Jockey Award in 2014, becoming the sponsor of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle four years later. By becoming an Official Partner of the Jockey Club, Boodles will add the sponsorship of the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, a Grade 1 race run at Aintree, and the Boodles Rising Star Novices’ Chase, which is a Grade 2 event run at Wincanton, to its roster. The move also sees the company extent its sponsorship of the Gold Cup until and inclusive of the 2027 renewal of the Blue Riband event.
Michael Wainwright, the Chairman of Boodles, summed up why it is that the company is happy to continue its sponsorship of Jockey Club events by saying,
“Involvement at Cheltenham has been a remarkable experience for the company. It has enabled us to promote Boodles to a huge new audience as well as providing a fabulous environment to entertain our existing customers. As horse racing appeals to men and women equally it is an obvious sponsorship vehicle for Boodles. Being passionate about National Hunt racing myself also makes it a huge joy to be involved in such a stunning sporting event as the Cheltenham Festival.”
As for the opinion of the Jockey Club, Ian Renton, the Managing Director for the organisation in the West region, said, “Boodles is such an iconic British brand, and we are extremely proud to expand our association with it as an Official Partner of The Jockey Club. We will never forget the incredible scenes in 2022 for Boodles’ first year of sponsorship of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and we are looking forward to what the 2024 renewal has in store. To develop this partnership over the decade has been wonderful, and we are very much looking forward to continuing to work alongside the Boodles team.”
As part of the celebration of the deal, Boodles launched their ‘Lucky’ collection at the Festival, which is the first equine-inspired jewellery that they’ve produced.