Leading British bookmaker, Coral, and Sandown Park have signed a new three-year sponsorship deal for one of Britain’s premier flat races, the Group One Coral-Eclipse Stakes, taking this longstanding association through to 2006.

This three-year renewal will take Coral’s sponsorship of the Eclipse Stakes up to thirty one years making it the longest running Group race sponsorship in Britain. This year’s Coral-Eclipse Stakes staged on Saturday, 3rd July will have the highest total prize fund in its history of £409,000.

David Morris, MD of Sandown Park said: ‘We welcome the sponsorship renewal by Coral of this historic and prestigious race which this year, including the supplementary monies, has the highest total prize fund in its history of £409,000. Working in partnership with Coral over the next three years this fund will continue to rise until 2006.’

The race was first held in 1886 and was won by Bendigo, a horse who went on to win two other high-class races. This set the trend for top-quality winners which continues to this day and the field for this year’s race is no exception with Maktub & Refuse to Bend supplemented at yesterday’s supplementary stage plus 12 other horses who have stood their ground. These include Ikhtyar, Kalaman & African Dream. This is the highlight of the flat season at Sandown Park and gives the top three-year-old horses their first opportunity at the highest level to take on more established older equine stars over the distance of a mile and a quarter. This coupled with the fact it is the second leg in the Triple Crown with a potential £1 million bonus at stake means it has, as always, attracted the best thoroughbreds in Europe.

It is not just top quality racing that is on the card. Coral-Eclipse is Ladies Day, a real summer sporting and social occasion. This year, Sandown Park is providing female racegoers with their own exclusive Ladies Lounge where ladies will be able to enjoy a little pampering, fashion advice and even retail therapy. Experts in fashion, make-up, hair and beauty therapy are there to indulge racegoers in FREE mini-manicures and massages. Skin and make up expertise will be provided by Virgin Vie and Daniel Galvin Junior is just one of the lifestyle experts taking part in ‘Fashion in Focus’ – where a team of four top style and image creators will give free one-to-one consultations to women throughout the day. To complete the experience in the Ladies Lounge there is also the Laurent Perrier Champagne Bar for essential refreshment.

A fabulous prize for the Best Dressed Lady of a dinner and overnight stay for two at the five-star Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison in Oxfordshire will be presented during the afternoon and there is also a meal at a top London restaurant for the Best Dressed Couple. To round off the day there is late-night opening at Wheeler’s of St James’s Champagne and Seafood Bar with live music for two hours after the last race.

For further enquiries or ticket bookings contact: Ticket Enquiries on 01372 470047 or Corporate Hospitality on 01372 477747.

For further information please contact: Selena Colmer at SBI on 020 7559 2840 / 07968 127605 or Simon Clare at Coral on 07860 465139