Poundland Hill arrives at Epsom as part of Derby deal

Epsom's famous area of track is to be rebranded as "Poundland Hill" following the announcement of a five-year sponsorship extension to the Derby Festival after Investec was joined by a new partner.

Poundland's owners Steinhoff International was unveiled on Thursday as a partner of Investec, with the bank and asset manager extending their backing of horse racing's premier Classic until 2026.

Poundland trading director Barry Williams was thrilled to be involved in this year's Classic showpiece.

He said: "All of Britain loves the Derby and as the people's store, we're looking forward to helping make the people's hill at Epsom one of the best ways for the family to experience the Derby at Epsom."

Jockey Club London's regional director Phil White said: "We're looking to build and reinvigorate the hill and having a
partner to work alongside us represents a great opportunity.

"The Derby Festival attracts such a wide range of society and that's what makes it unique. It's known as the people's race and the activities and all the people who go on to the hill is one of the reasons for that.

"The hill is unique, and having a high street retailer like Poundland associated with it can only be good for its long-term growth.

"It's great to have the certainty, Investec are huge supporters of British racing and are dedicated to the Derby.

"We love working with them and we're delighted that they have introduced Poundland, and we're really pleased to introduce a new sponsor to racing."

Investec first sponsored the meeting in 2009 and, after extending an initial five-year deal by a further 10 years until 2021, the firm is keen to maintain the association.

Malcolm Fried, global head of marketing at the firm, said: "We are proud to have extended our sponsorship of the Investec Derby Festival, an event that shares our values of energy, passion and outstanding talent.

"The Investec Derby has given back so much to our brand over the years, and we are committed to ensuring it remains the greatest flat race in the world."