Media Centre

Scottish Sprint Cup makes 'express' transfer to York Racecourse

27 May 2008

Former Miss England Georgia Horsley made an express delivery by train today (Tuesday 27 May) when she delivered the National Express Scottish Sprint Cup trophy to its temporary new home at York Racecourse.

Traditionally held at Musselburgh Racecourse in Edinburgh, the £50,000 five-furlong sprint, sponsored by National Express East Coast, is making the move to York during 2008 and will run on 31 May as part of the racecourse’s new May Spring Weekend festival.

James Brennan, Marketing and Sponsorship Manager at York Racecourse, received the coveted Sprint Cup trophy from Georgia and Rachel Dawson, Sales and Marketing Director, National Express East Coast, at the racecourse following its safe and swift transfer from Edinburgh by National Express East Coast train.

Stunning beauty Georgia modelled an eye-catching National Express East Coast dress which has been specially designed by Edinburgh-based designer, Susie McKenzie, to mark the train operator’s Sprint Cup sponsorship.

Inspired by the summer racing season and ‘ladies day’ fashions, the unique full-length dress was made from white silk and features silver ribbons and red and blue rosettes. The dress was complemented by a bouquet of Yorkshire white roses.

This racing season National Express East Coast is also sponsoring meetings at Newcastle, Doncaster and Musselburgh and is offering great value-for-money rail deals to racecourses along the East Coast Main Line. For example, racing fans travelling from York to Edinburgh for the Musselburgh meeting can do so in style with First Class rail fares from Edinburgh starting at £52 return.

Over 20,000 racegoers are expected to attend the May Spring Weekend racing fixture at the Knavesmire on Friday 30 May and Saturday 31 May, which is the newest addition to York’s racing calendar. The mid-term family weekend offers the chance to check the form of leading thoroughbreds ahead of their mid season targets and family entertainment at the funfair.

As part of their support for racing, National Express East Coast will sponsor the National Express York Sprint Cup at Musselburgh on Saturday, 11 October 2008.

For more information contact:
Media Centre

t: 0845 059 3988 or 0845 059 3494
e: media.centre@nationalexpress.com

About National Express East Coast

National Express East Coast operates 137 weekday train services along the East Coast Main Line, linking London King's Cross, the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside, North East England and Scotland, carrying more than 17.4 million passengers a year.

Out of normal office hours (17.30 to 09.00 hours) please call 08700 005151 and ask for the duty press officer to be paged.

Visit the National Express East Coast Media Centre at mediacentre.nationalexpresseastcoast.com for a full image library and press release archive.