888sport has secured sponsorship of four race meetings at the two-day Cheltenham Showcase meeting, becoming the official betting partner of the event.

The agreement will see 888sport sponsor the What’s Your Thinking Novices Hurdle and Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase on the opening Friday, followed by the 14:20 handicap Chase and the feature event at 15:30.

“The Showcase meeting at Cheltenham is seen by many as when the National Hunt season really kicks off and it’s fantastic that we are now the Official Betting Partner,” said Kieran Spellman, VP Head of Sport at 888sport.

“It’s even more special that this will be the first time in more than 18 months that racegoers will be in attendance at, what many regard, as the home of National Hunt racing. 

“We are expanding our presence in horse racing in both Britain and Ireland and, along with this new sponsorship, we have signed one of the sport’s greatest ever jockeys in Barry, who will provide great insight and knowledge to racing fans on both sides of the Irish Sea.”

The online sports betting firm has also moved to bolster its marketing at the competition by partnering with Barry Geraghty, which will see the former jockey serve as the operator’s horse racing ambassador in the UK and Ireland.

This will see Geraghty provide views and insight around some of the more prominent fixtures of the horse racing season, whilst he will also appear in feature-length interviews with some of the sport’s biggest names.

Geraghty remarked: “I’m really excited to have signed with 888sport ahead of the new Jumps season and I’m looking forward to offering my views on all the big talking points over the next few months.

“The Showcase meeting at Cheltenham is when the season really gets going and I can’t wait to be there – it will be the first time I’ve been racing at Prestbury Park since retiring in March 2019.”

As part of its marketing strategy ahead of the event, 888sport will release a preview with trainer Henry de Bromhead, who appeared with Geraghty in the first sit-down discussion of the series to discuss the prospects of his Honeysuckle, Minella Times and Bob Olinger runners.

In addition to its horse racing marketing, 888sport has further bolstered its branding in the sports space by partnering with Cardiff City FC of the EFL Championship, functioning as the club’s training kit sponsor.