Ultima Business Solutions places its bets

VAR sponsors hotly contested race at this year's Cheltenham Festival

MSP Ultima Business Solutions is set to sponsor a race at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

The firm, which recently revealed its aim to become a £100m business in its next financial year, is sponsoring the £90,000 three-mile and one furlong handicap chase on Champion Hurdle day next month.

The Ultima Business Handicap Chase will be a maximum 24-runner field, and previous winners of the Ultima-sponsored race have gone on to win some of the biggest prizes in jump racing.

For example, five winners have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and four have even won the Grand National at Aintree, the last being Rough Quest.

Max McNeill (pictured), chief executive of Ultima Business Solutions, said: “At Ultima, we are absolutely delighted to have further strengthened our association with Cheltenham Racecourse, where we have been sponsoring The Open meeting since 2009.

"Ultima Business Solutions is now in its 25th year of business and this is the perfect opportunity for us to mark the occasion. Over the last 25 years we have grown and evolved into the UK’s pre-eminent independent IT infrastructure provider. This sponsorship will enable us to share our success and achievement with our clients and vendors alike."

He added: “The opening day of the festival is, without question, one of the most exciting days in the racing calendar and one that jump-racing fans are counting down to as soon as the previous year’s Grand Annual Chase has finished. To have a sponsored race on the first day is something very special for me and I cannot wait to see the runners go to post for the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase.”