Randox renews Ulster National sponsorship at Downpatrick Racecourse

The Ulster National, run at Downpatrick Racecourse since 1939, is one of the highlights of the racing year in Northern Ireland. It is therefore fitting that locally-based company Randox, whose racing portfolio has included the Aintree Grand National since 2017, has announced the renewal of their sponsorship of the Ulster National for the next five years, from 2025 until 2029. Randox will also sponsor 10 additional races at Downpatrick during each year. 

This year’s Randox Ulster National will be held on Sunday, March 30th and is run over a distance of three miles and four furlongs, with a generous prize fund of €50,000. 

Previous winners of the Ulster National include some well-known names: Caughoo won the Ulster National in 1945 and 1946 and went on to win the Aintree Grand National in 1947, ridden by jockey Eddie Dempsey and trained by Dublin-based Herbert McDowell. Laffy, owned by HRH Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother won the Ulster National in 1962, while more recently, Pineau de Re won the race in 2013, going on to claim the Aintree Grand National in 2014. 

Randox is a global innovative healthcare diagnostics company, based in Crumlin, County Antrim and was founded in 1982 by Dr Peter FitzGerald, a medical scientist and keen horseman. The company’s sponsorship of racing includes the Randox Grand National at Aintree and title sponsorship of the three-day Randox Grand National Festival. 

Randox sponsorship at Downpatrick began in 2020, with a five-year term having just come to an end. The renewal of this sponsorship for a further five years is a positive move for the racecourse and will certainly add to the excitement of the Ulster National for the next five years!  

Be sure to put Sunday, March 30th into your diary! 

Dr Peter FitzGerald CBE, Founder and Managing Director of Randox, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time to be extending our partnership with Downpatrick Racecourse for the Randox Ulster National. Racing is a sport everyone can enjoy, from all different walks of life, and a partnership with Downpatrick offers us a fantastic opportunity to share our message of preventative health with a wide and engaged audience. The past five years, Randox has expanded into a strong and growing network of clinics across the UK & Ireland giving everyone the access they need to unlock their health. We look forward to the next five years of the Randox Ulster National.” 

Ruth Morrison, Manager at Downpatrick Racecoursealso said: “We are thrilled that Randox has committed to extending their sponsorship of the Randox Ulster National at Downpatrick Racecourse for another five years, along with 10 additional races each season. The partnership over the past five years has been fantastic, and we are excited to continue building on that success.

“Randox’s involvement in high-profile races such as the Grand National at Aintree highlights their dedication to our sport, we are proud to have them as a key partner in our racing community.

“We would like to thank the FitzGerald Family and Team at Randox for their continued support and we look forward to the 2025 renewal of the Randox Ulster National on Sunday 30th March."