Cheltenham Festival: Turners announced as new Grade One sponsor

Turners has been announced as the new sponsor of the 2m 4f novices’ chase - registered as the Golden Miller Novices' Chase - on day three of the Cheltenham Festival and is set to take place under its new title on Thursday 17 March next year.

Based in Soham, just outside Newmarket, Turners was established in 1930 by brothers Wallace and Frank Turner and has grown to become one of the largest and most successful privately-owned transport companies in the United Kingdom. Turners operates in excess of 2,300 vehicles from 32 sites and employs 4,500 people.

Turners Managing Director Paul Day is a grandson of co-founder Wallace Turner and was England’s table tennis champion in 1978 - and has also represented Great Britain at croquet. He is a longstanding attendee at the Cheltenham Festival and sponsoring a race at the iconic meeting fulfils a major ambition.

Day explained: “Outside of my family, I have two great passions in my life: my business, Turners, and sports - with a lifelong love of horse racing.

“I attend the Cheltenham Festival for all four days every year. I think it was when Istabraq won his first Champion Hurdle (1998) that I first started attending every day of the Festival, although I had made some visits before that.

“I love all sports and have travelled all over the world to attend major events including the Breeders’ Cup, but for me the Cheltenham Festival is the real standout – there is nothing else like it.

“Turners has reached a point where we have the scale and credibility to sponsor a race and it is a huge honour to have the 2m 4f novices’ chase given our company name.

“Personally, I am delighted by our company’s association with Cheltenham and I know our staff will get great pleasure and fun from our involvement.

“We look forward to a long-term partnership with the race and Cheltenham Racecourse.”

The Turners Novices’ Chase was introduced to The Festival as a Grade Two event in 2011 and was upgraded to Grade One status in 2014. The Festival’s leading trainer Willie Mullins has won the contest a record four times courtesy of Sir Des Champs (2012), Vautour (2015), Black Hercules (2016) and Yorkhill (2017), while the 2021 renewal went to the Nicky Henderson-trained Chantry House.

Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s Managing Director for Cheltenham and the West Region, said: “We are delighted to welcome Turners as a new sponsor to The Festival with its generous support of the 2m 4f novices’ chase on day three.

“It is particularly fulfilling for us when a sponsor has such a tremendous passion for the sport, as Paul Day does, and we look forward to what will hopefully be a long and successful partnership.”