The Jockey Club has announced that the Premier Handicap Hurdle on Ladies Day (Wednesday 11th March) of the Cheltenham Festival will now be run as the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle.

The leading online bookmaker already sponsors the feature race on Ladies Day, the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, and has strengthened its association with The Festival by securing naming rights for a second race on the card.

BetMGM is already an Official Betting Partner of The Jockey Club with a strong portfolio of several major races throughout the horse racing calendar, including the Grade 2 BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, the Grade 2 BetMGM Elite Hurdle at Wincanton and the Group 1 BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle is one of the most competitive contests across the four days of the Cheltenham Festival and consistently ranks among the top races for betting turnover each year. First run in 1993, the race was won by Olympian under jockey Peter Scudamore for trainer Martin Pipe. The only horse to have won the race more than once was Langer Dan, who struck back-to-back victories for trainer Dan Skelton and jockey Harry Skelton in 2023 and 2024.

The most successful trainer in the race’s 33-year history is Nicky Henderson, who has saddled four winners – Spirit River (2010), Whisper (2014), William Henry (2019) and Dame De Compagnie (2020).

Daniel Glavin, Head of Bookmaker Partnerships at The Jockey Club, said: “BetMGM are a valued partner of The Jockey Club, and we’re delighted that they have expanded their portfolio on Ladies Day to add another race in their name to the card.

“The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle further strengthens BetMGM’s presence at the Cheltenham Festival and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the team as we build towards this year’s event.”

Dan Towse, Brand Director at BetMGM said: “The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle has been a staple of the Cheltenham Festival for well over 30 years and we are really excited to be associated with it ahead of this year’s race.

“Alongside Wednesday’s feature, the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, we now have two fantastic races on Ladies Day and thank The Jockey Club for their support.”