Johnno Spence, the independent sports media consultant who manages Epsom's PR, confirmed to BritSport Weekly that organisers had given up on efforts to secure a single title sponsor to replace Vodafone for the 2008 Derby Festival.
“There are several contributing factors as to why Epsom has failed to source a title sponsor,” Spence said. “Epsom was not going to undersell the Derby Festival. It is a real crown jewel in terms of a national iconic sporting event and the two days are really back since the move from a Wednesday to a Saturday”.
Spense also cited the current ‘economic uncertainty’ as contributing to Epsom sponsorship problems.
Epsom and its parent group, Jockey Club Racecourses take sole responsibility for negotiating rights and are expected to sign a variety of sponsors for the event.
