DragonBet Backs First-Ever Welsh Racing Festival as Chepstow Launches New Era for UK Jumps Season

The UK’s National Hunt season will launch in style this year with the debut of the Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival, a newly expanded three-day event taking place at Chepstow Racecourse from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th October. Backed by Dragonbet—the leading Welsh-owned bookmaker—the festival marks a bold reimagining of what was formerly known as the Jump Season Opener.

Now in its 99th year, Chepstow will once again take centre stage as the spiritual home of Welsh jump racing. And in a significant move for both the racecourse and the wider sport, the Dragonbet Welsh Champion Hurdle returns to Chepstow for the first time since 2002, having been held at Ffos Las since 2010.

“This festival builds on everything that made the Jump Season Opener such a highlight of the calendar,” said Luke Admans, General Manager at Chepstow Racecourse. “By transforming it into the Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival, and bringing home the Welsh Champion Hurdle, we’re creating a sporting and cultural event that celebrates the very best of Wales.”

The reinvigorated festival promises a wealth of racing and entertainment across its three days. Headline action includes the Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle, the returning Welsh Champion Hurdle, and the launch of the Welsh Racing Hall of Fame. There will also be the inaugural Piercefield Cup Trainers Championship, plus live music after racing.

For Dragonbet, the partnership is more than just a sponsorship deal—it’s a celebration of roots and heritage.

“We’re incredibly proud to be the headline sponsors of the newly formed Welsh Racing Festival,” said a spokesperson for Dragonbet. “Our family has had a long-standing connection with Chepstow since the late 1960s. This festival carries all the prestige and excitement that fans expect from the traditional jump season opener, while offering an affordable, accessible way for racegoers to enjoy everything a festival has to offer.

Partnering with the Welsh Racing Festival is a significant milestone for us as a company, and a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come. It also allows us to celebrate racing in Wales.”

Chepstow has long been a proving ground for future stars of the sport, with legendary names like Altior making their mark at the course. Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, Altior made his hurdling debut at Chepstow before going on to win ten Grade One races, including four Cheltenham Festival triumphs.

In keeping with the event’s mission to remain accessible and inclusive, Chepstow is offering a Weekend Pass for just £39—equating to only £13 per day. Additional group discounts and special offers are set to be unveiled soon.

Tickets and hospitality packages are now on sale at chepstow-racecourse.co.uk, with organisers promising a true celebration of Welsh racing culture, past and present.

Dragonbet has long championed the Welsh horse racing industry, not just through sponsorship and presence at local tracks, but also by advocating for the sport’s future. Just this week, Co-founder David Lovell voiced concern over proposed Treasury reforms that could see horseracing taxed in the same way as online casino gaming—stripping away the long-held distinction between skill-based and chance-based wagering.

Industry leaders have warned the changes could trigger a funding crisis, with British Horseracing Authority analysis estimating an annual shortfall of at least £66 million—potentially endangering 85,000 jobs supported by the racing ecosystem across the UK.

“Horseracing sits at the very roots of the DragonBet brand,” said Lovell. “We owe our existence to the sport and we see the passion, tradition and economic impact it generates every day. This tax proposal risks weakening a sector that brings not only joy to millions but real business to Britain, from hospitality and tourism to rural employment. Racing deserves to be protected and championed, not quietly undermined.”