Great Western will be put under the national spotlight at this year’s spring racing carnival, with Seppelt Wines signing on as a major sponsor of Australia’s biggest week of horse racing.
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The final raceday of the Melbourne Cup Carnival will now be known as Seppelt Wines Stakes Day, to be held on Saturday, November 10.
Great Western’s Seppelt Wines will celebrate 40 years of commercial partnership with the Victoria Racing Club this year, with the company set to make its biggest mark this year.
As well as becoming the naming rights sponsor of Stakes Day, the company will make its mark throughout the whole week with the Seppelt Marquee in the Birdcage enclosure and Seppelt Bar in The Park precinct.
Seppelt Wines cellar manager Deb Riley said the sponsorship deal is massive not just for the company but also for Great Western and the Grampians region.
“It is huge for Great Western as a whole and we are excited to be a part of it,” she said.
“The coverage we will get will be great for everyone.”
Businesses in the small town have spearheaded the ‘Destination Great Western’ movement recently, an effort to drive tourism to the town before a likely bypass removes traffic from the Western Highway in coming years.
Mrs Riley said ‘Destination Great Western’ has already proved to be successful and Seppelt’s increased exposure in Melbourne should drive even more people to the town.
“It is bringing people into the town to spend time here and discover what Great Western has to offer in food and wine and the rest of it,” she said.
“All of the wineries and businesses in this area have been working hard. The project is proving to be an integral part of drawing people to our region and to engage with other areas to showcase what we have got here.”
It has been a big week for Seppelt Wines, with its original sparkling shiraz winning the trophy and gold medal for best sparkling red at the Sydney Wine Show last week.
“It will be great to see the home of sparkling red wine in Australia showcased on such an iconic stage as the Melbourne Cup,” Mrs Riley said.
The new agreement includes naming rights sponsorship of the $2 million group one 2000 metre race on Seppelt Wines Stakes Day.
“We have worked closely with Seppelt for more than four decades, during which time our businesses have enjoyed significant growth,” Victorian Racing Club chief executive Neil Wilson said.
“We look forward to reaching even greater heights with Seppelt this year.”