Seppelt Wines is the naming rights partner for Stakes Day, the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, in a new deal that sees the winery elevated to Major Partner status with the club.
Seppelt is one of the VRC’s longest commercial partners, marking a 40-year anniversary with Australia’s premier racing club this year.
Victoria Racing Club CEO Neil Wilson said the enduring partnership was a sign of the club’s ability to foster lasting relationships that deliver superior commercial outcomes for partners.
“The VRC is thrilled to welcome Seppelt Wines as the naming rights partner for the Melbourne Cup Carnival’s final day, Seppelt Wines Stakes Day,” Mr Wilson said.
“We have worked closely with Seppelt for more than four decades, during which time our businesses have enjoyed significant growth. We look forward to reaching even greater heights with Seppelt this year.”
Seppelt was founded in 1851 and will have a presence in Flemington’s exclusive Birdcage Enclosure and The Park this Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The rich history between the VRC and Seppelt Wines dates back to 1978 when Flemington first hosted the Seppelt-sponsored Great Western Stakes on Melbourne Cup Day.
More recently, Seppelt has been associated with races such as the 2017 Seppelt Turnbull Stakes won by Australia’s champion racehorse Winx.
Treasury Wine Estates managing director, ANZ & Europe, Angus McPherson said he was delighted to elevate Seppelt’s involvement with the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“2018 marks a 40-year anniversary between Seppelt Wines and the Victoria Racing Club and we are delighted to be announced as a Major Partner of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the VRC,” Mr McPherson said.
“We look forward to celebrating across the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival, and in particular on Seppelt Wines Stakes Day, of which we are proud to become the naming rights partner.
“As a producer of premium, sought-after wines, we are delighted to celebrate this significant partnership and showcase our outstanding wines on a world stage as prestigious as Flemington – an icon in Australia’s racing landscape.”
The new agreement includes naming rights sponsorship of the $2 million Group 1 2000m race on Seppelt Wines Stakes Day. The time-honoured race (registered as the LKS Mackinnon Stakes) is the grand final for some of the finest local and international weight-for-age horses and has been won in the past by legends including Better Loosen Up, Let’s Elope and Lonhro, and more recently by stars such as So You Think and Tosen Stardom.
In celebration of Seppelt becoming a Major Partner of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the VRC, the anticipated 2008 vintage of the winery’s coveted Show Sparkling Shiraz will be unveiled in the Seppelt marquee as an exclusive preview release. Show Sparkling Shiraz is made only in exceptional years, crafted from the finest Victorian Shiraz and has impressed the wine show circuit since the 1940s.