When it comes to gambling, people have all sorts of preferences. Some enjoy online slots, others enjoy live casino gaming, and some love placing bets on the horses or dogs. Many fans of greyhound racing and events were dealt a blow earlier this year when it was revealed that the Central Park Greyhound Grand National event was at risk of cancellation.
This situation occurred as a result of a sponsor backing out when it was proposed that the event should take place behind closed doors. Roger Cearns, the Central Park organiser, said that it was touch and go for a while as to whether the event would take place this year. However, rescue has now arrived in the form of Colossus Bets, which has stepped in and saved the event with the signing of a five-year agreement.
Stepping in at the Eleventh Hour
Cearns expressed his relief and his gratitude to Colossus Bets for what he described as stepping in at the eleventh hour. With the previous sponsor pulling out, the event organisers would have had no choice but to cancel. However, with the new sponsorship agreement between Greyhound Grand National and Colossus Bets, this has now changed.
Speaking in a recent interview, Cearns said, “Our thanks go to Bernard and Colossus Bets for stepping in at what is the eleventh hour to allow us to stage the Grand National. We are the home of hurdling here at Central Park, but this year’s event was in real danger.”
He added that it had already been a challenging year and that track owners were under a huge amount of pressure. Cearns went on to say that the organisers had been proactive in trying to find a sponsor after the previous one backed out and that they were delighted they had managed to bring Colossus Bets on board.
Colossus Bets CEO Thrilled About Agreement
Following the agreement, the CEO of Colossus Bets also spoke about the new partnership. Bernard Marantelli said that he loved greyhound racing and that his family had been taking wagers on the type of event for decades. He added that he was keen to see this type of event succeed and that he had a range of plans to help the sport to thrive.
Many others expressed their delight about the new partnership, including Grand National trainer Ricky Holloway. He said that he was very happy that the event for this year was still going ahead and described the deal as ‘fantastic news’. According to Holloway, this move has helped to save both the Grand National and hurdles racing.
There have been some changes to the prize money, and Holloway believes that this will help to generate more interest, boost entries, and increase competition. While the event is advertised for 36 hurdlers, organisers are reportedly happy to lower this to 24. If the numbers come up short, the first three will qualify.
Excitement Builds for the Event
Now that the partnership has been agreed upon and the event is once again going ahead, excitement is building for participants, fans, and organisers. The event is set to begin on October 25th and the finals should take place on November 8th. The winner of the race will walk away with a tidy sum of $7.500.
According to reports, this is a five-figure deal that will make a huge difference to the hurdles racing both now and in the future. With the event having come so close to being cancelled altogether, there is no doubt that both fans and those involved with the event will be breathing a sigh of relief.
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