Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) last week announced a significant new sponsor when unveiling O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey as its official whiskey partner.
Landing any new sponsor is a cause for celebration for a sporting body but this deal had the added benefit of coming from a sector outside its traditional go-to of gambling as that industry finds itself in the cross-hairs of new legislation.
Paul Dermody, the director of commercial and marketing at HRI, said gambling and racing had a “symbiotic relationship”, but the organisation was keen to broaden its appeal to other sectors.
“The more of those brands and categories you have, the more vehicles you have to talk to [the brand] consumers about coming racing or engaging with the sport of horse racing,” Dermody, who also serves as the HRI Racecourses chief executive, told the Business Post.
