Jockey Walsh’s quick-thinking saves Racing UK campaign
Racing UK’s new Jumps season campaign – centring around Ruby Walsh and due to launch this week - was in danger of being pulled after the jockey suffered a double break to his right leg on Saturday.
But that was until the dual Grand National-winning jockey himself suggested adapting the original image to show his leg in a cast (see attachments).
As a result, the “Join Ruby for an Armchair Ride” campaign will be activated as planned this week via 50,000 direct mailings, digital activity, adverts and inserts.
Racing UK’s Commercial Director Nick Mills said: “Our first thoughts were with Ruby obviously following his fall in Northern Ireland, but selfishly they were soon followed by where that left our campaign, with mailings due to go out on Monday.
“Ruby himself rang on Monday, less than a day after his operation, and rescued the campaign – as you can see the results are really eye-catching!”
The campaign, created by BPL Marketing, ties in with Racing UK’s recently-announced one-year sponsorship deal with Walsh, one of the best Jumps jockeys in the world and a rider of a record 27 victories at the Cheltenham Festival.
When fit again to resume riding in around 12 weeks, the 31-year-old Irishman will wear Racing UK branding on his riding breeches and polo neck, as well as acting as the channel’s ambassador for the 2010-11 Jumps season.
Racing UK broadcasts horseracing from 30 of the leading British racecourses and is shown on Sky 432 (UK, NI, ROI), Virgin 536 (UK) or Chorus ntl 411 (ROI). The channel currently numbers nearly 50,000 subscriptions.
Racing UK has also set up a page - www.racinguk.com/ruby - where well-wishers can wish Walsh a speedy recovery.
