WE’RE told that if you go into the bars at Leopardstown this weekend and order a €10 shot of O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey, you will get a free cap, a €5 Tote voucher and the distillery will give €5 to Irish Injured Jockeys.

How can you say no to that? It’s your duty to get stuck in. Remember you have the bank holiday Monday to recover.

Looks like we’re going to be hearing a lot more of O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey.

A Wexford company with West Cork roots, they are sponsoring the Leopardstown Chase on Sunday and they are now the “official whiskey partner of HRI Racecourses”. Yes, that’s a thing now.

The company managing director is Michaell Stafford and he is involved in a couple of horses trained by Henry de Bromhead.

Michaell may or may not have been sampling his own product when he said: “Inspired by my grandfather Diarmuid O’Driscoll and the adventurous spirit of my ancestors, we are delighted to bring this brave and daring spirit onto the HRI Racecourses and into the bars, where racegoers can sip and sample our whiskey as they enjoy their racing experience.”

Well said, Michaell, now take my money.

The O’Driscoll deal with Leopardstown was highlighted in the Sunday Business Post last weekend in an article about HRI Racecourses and race sponsorship.

In the past 18 months, HRI has secured a number of both race and non-racing partnerships from a host of new sectors “that are seeing oportunities in the sport to advance their business goals”.

We’ll drink to that.