Global healthcare provider Randox Health will become the official sponsor of Aintree’s Grand National Festival, organisers have revealed.

The £1 million horse racing event’s current title partner, Crabbie’s will scale back its involvement in 2017 when it will remain as the sponsor of the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle on the Friday’s Ladies Day.

Randox Health’s five-year deal with the world-famous event, which attracts around 9m UK television viewers each year, will come into effect after the 2016 Crabbie’s Grand National on 7-9 April and also sees the company become the official healthcare partner of The Jockey Club, which organises the Grand National Festival as well as other prominent racing events including Cheltenham Festival.

John Baker, North West regional director for Jockey Club Racecourses which runs Aintree, says: “I am delighted to welcome Randox Health as our new partner from after the 2016 Crabbie’s Grand National Festival.

“We are already working closely with Randox Health and are excited both about their plans for the future and how they see the role of our partnership within that. Their vision, people and operation are very impressive, they love their racing and I am confident they will prove fantastic partners for our crown jewel.

“I should also like to thank Crabbie’s brand owner, Halewood International, and in particular Judy Halewood and Peter Eaton, for their very generous and beneficial support of the Crabbie’s Grand National these past three years. I am very pleased they will remain involved and associated with Aintree through sponsorship of the high value Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle and‎ of course before that the important 169th running of the world’s greatest steeplechase in April under their banner.”

The Grand National, which sees an estimated worldwide television audience of 600m viewers and is also attended by more than 150,000 racegoers across the three days, is also set to move from Channel 4 to be broadcast on ITV next year.

Randox Health has signed up to become the headline partner for the festival as it also plans to roll out new clinics nationally and internationally over the next 12 months with Liverpool among its earmarked locations.

Dr Peter FitzGerald CBE, founder and managing director of Randox, says: “Crabbie’s sponsorship of the Grand National will be a hard act to follow, but we look forward to rising to the challenge and sharing our vision for Randox Health further once the 2016 Crabbie’s Grand National has drawn to a close and our rights for the world’s greatest race come into effect.”

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