Horse racing - Goodwood in lucrative 10-year deal with Qatar

LONDON (Reuters) - Goodwood has announced a 10-year partnership with Qatar that the racecourse describes as "the single biggest sponsorship deal ever done for the benefit of British horse racing".

More than two million pounds will be invested in eight key races at the south of England track while the July 28-Aug. 1 Glorious Goodwood meeting is to become the Qatar Goodwood Festival, with prize money of 4.5 million pounds.

Other races to benefit from the deal include the Qatar Sussex Stakes, with a prize fund of one million pounds, and the 600,000 pounds Qatar Nassau Stakes.

"Goodwood has, for more than 200 years, been about the best racing in the most English of settings, accessible to everyone," racecourse owner Lord March told www.goodwood.com on Monday.

"Our partnership with Qatar will make an enormous contribution to horse racing in the UK."

(Reporting by Michael Hann, editing by Tony Jimenez)