26 October - Arena Racing Company and Newcastle Racecourse are delighted to announce leading construction group Bowmer + Kirkland as the new sponsor of the prestigious Fighting Fifth Hurdle, which takes place at Gosforth Park on Saturday 28 November.
One of the highlights of Newcastle’s racing calendar, the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth is the first top-level hurdle contest of the British jumps season and boasts an illustrious roll of honour featuring some of the sport’s best-known names, including Constitution Hill, Buveur d’Air and Harchibald.
Bowmer + Kirkland has a long-standing relationship with the North East, most recently serving as main contractor on Newcastle’s Pilgrim’s Quarter, one of the region’s largest and most complex city-centre regeneration projects.
The new multi-year deal will see Bowmer + Kirkland sponsor five races across the card, including the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Rehearsal Chase, further strengthening the company’s association with British racing.
The partnership also has a strong personal connection to the sport through Robert Kirkland, Life President of Bowmer + Kirkland and a long-standing racehorse owner and supporter of National Hunt racing.
Among the horses to have carried Kirkland’s colours is outstanding chaser Grey Dawning, trained by Dan Skelton. The nine-year-old is a three-time Grade 1 winner, having landed the Turners Novices’ Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, the 2025 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park and, most recently, the JCB Melling Chase at Aintree in April. He also finished fourth in the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Kirkland has enjoyed success with a number of other horses over the years, including nine-time winner Brave Eagle, who was trained by Nicky Henderson and won the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter in 2019.
Paul Elliott, Executive Director at Newcastle Racecourse, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Bowmer + Kirkland as a new partner of Newcastle Racecourse and, in particular, as sponsor of the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.
“The Fighting Fifth is one of the great races in the National Hunt calendar and a fixture we are immensely proud of. Bowmer + Kirkland is a hugely respected British business with a genuine connection to racing through Robert and his family, so this feels like a particularly good fit.
“We very much look forward to working with the Bowmer + Kirkland team and welcoming them to Gosforth Park in November.”
Ed Besford, Bowmer + Kirkland’s Regional Director for North East + Scotland said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Newcastle Racecourse, and to become the sponsor of the prestigious Fighting Fifth Hurdle. As a business with a long-standing presence in the North East, we’re proud to support such an important event in the region’s sporting calendar.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming clients, colleagues and partners to the event in November and being a part of what promises to be a fantastic day of racing.”
For further information please contact:
Sam Cone, Arena Racing Company on 07920 404296 or SCone@arenaracingcompany.co.uk
Hugo Barran, JSC Communications on 07786 913215 or hugo@jsccomms.co.uk
