Vodafone To End Derby Sponsorship

Vodafone is to end its 13-year old sponsorship of horse racing’s Epsom Derby
after this year’s race.

The 2007 race on 2 June will be the last to feature Vodafone as title
sponsor.

Epsom managing director Stephen Wallis said the Derby remained ‘one of the
leading races in the world’ and that he would be immediately going out into the
market to find a replacement title sponsor.

He commented: ‘The Derby Festival has undergone some significant changes that
have served to firmly re-establish its status as one of the great British
sporting events.

‘We shall now start discussions with other parties who have expressed
interest to us over the last few years.’

Simon Lewis, Vodafone’s Group corporate affairs director, said the
partnership had been ‘mutually beneficial’.

He added: ‘We will be working closely with the Epsom management to ensure a
seamless transition to a new sponsor from 2008 onwards. The Derby is unique, and
it has been a pleasure for everyone at Vodafone to have been involved with it.’