THE Warrnambool Racing Club announced its latest sponsorship coup today welcoming ‘Tabcorp’ as naming rights sponsor for the May Racing Carnival and affiliate brand ‘Luxbet’ to the listed Warrnambool Cup.The multi year deal is one of the most significant partnership agreements in the club's history, including ground breaking naming rights to the Carnival.“The Club is rapt to be associated with such a great supporter of the industry”, said Warrnambool Racing Club CEO Andrew Pomeroy. “The agreement is certainly a great fit with Tabcorp and the May Carnival being two icons within racing.“The dynamic Luxbet brand is also the perfect match for the Warrnambool Cup, helping to push the recently listed race to even further heights." The excitement continues to build for the famous – Tabcorp Warrnambool May Racing Carnival – with the regional racing club predicting it will break all records and host in excess of 35,000 race-goers over the three day action packed Carnival.Held this year from May 5 – May 7 the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival has established itself as the biggest regional racing event Australia-wide, attracting some of the country’s finest trainers and jockeys.“Tabcorp is proud to be a partner of Warrnambool Racing Club through our sponsorship of the Tabcorp Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, featuring the Luxbet Warrnambool Cup", Tabcorp general manager of marketing Ian Mackay said.“We are thrilled that Warrnambool is one of the many premier country race clubs that has chosen us as their partner and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership together."In 2009 the carnival will offer over $1 million in prize money and bonuses for participants, the first time this feat has ever been achieved. This cements the carnival’s status as the richest regional racing event in the nation.“The Warrnambool Racing Club prides itself on hosting the biggest event within country racing bar none. Being able to consistently attract quality fields, trainers and jockeys has been a driving factor for this achievement and I’m certain that the trend will continue in 2009” Pomeroy said.The ‘Luxbet Warrnambool Cup’ and ‘Flying Horse Bar & Brewery Grand Annual Steeplechase’ will offer a combined purse of $273,000. The ‘Scott Petroleum Wangoom’, ‘Sungold Milk Galleywood’ and ‘Inglis Plate’ will all carry individual purses of over $100,000. The ‘3YB Brierly’ will round out the feature races with over $60,000 in spoils.The Carnival will also feature the ‘Melbourne Marriott Hotel Fashions on the Field’ to be contested on Cup Day and will boast over $18,000 in prizes.This year the Warrnambool Racing Club has welcomed on board former international cricket legend Simon O’Donnell as ‘Carnival Ambassador’. O’Donnell brings a wealth of racing knowledge to the role and will help to promote the event to a wider market. Racing identity Trish Oliver, wife of legendary Jockey Damien, has been instated as the ‘Face of the Carnival’.Warrnambool Racing Club will once again run the exclusive V/Line race day train from Melbourne to the ‘Bool’ for metropolitan patrons.