THE most prestigious race of Haydock Park's National Hunt season is getting two major boosts.

There is a new sponsorfor the race previously known as the Greenalls Grand National Trial and the De Vere Gold Cup, which will now be called the Halewood International's Red Square Vodka

The new £100,000 Red Square Vodka Gold Cup moves to a new date - Saturday, March 1 - that makes it the principal race in Britain that day, avoiding the clash with the Racing Post Chase at Kempton Park of recent years.

Halewood International's support extends its involvement at Haydock. For the second year, the group is sponsoring the brush hurdles series of races and continuing its sponsorship of the racecourse's Champion Hurdle Trial in January.

There are big prize money increases in all the other major Haydock Park steeplechases between now and March.

The prize fund for the Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase goes up from £45,000 to £50,000, for the Tommy Whittle Chase from £45,000 to £50,000, and for the Peter Marsh Chase from £45,000 to £60,000.

The brush hurdles series for young horses being prepared for a career over fences is being enhanced with new incentives.

The final - on Saturday, February 8 - is open to all horses, not just those that have run in one of the qualifiers over the autumn and winter. But if the winner has run in a qualifier previously, it will collect an extra £10,000, with an extra £5,000 for placed horses that have raced in one of the qualifiers.

The victor in last year's final - Mr Cospector - was later sold for 60,000 guineas and is now shaping up for a top class career over fences under trainer Dai Williams.

Haydock's fixture at the end of March now switches to jump racing rather than being a mix of flat and steeplechases. The finale to the season is the mixed meeting in early May which includes the Swinton Hurdle.

General manager Adam Waterworth said he was looking forward to an excellent season of jump racing.

"Our feature races - the Edward Hanmer, the Tommy Whittle and the Peter Marsh - were of the highest quality last season. Increasingly our races look forward to Aintree.

"With three of the first nine home in the Grand National being 'Haydock' horses, it proved to be a vintage season and we're looking forward to more of the same in coming months."

HAYDOCK PARK DIARY DATES

Sunday, November 17 (Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase)

Saturday, November 30 (One Man Novices' Chase & Tim Molony Chase)

Saturday, December 14 (Tommy Whittle Chase & Lord Leverhulme Novices' Chase)

Saturday, December 28

Saturday, January 4

Saturday, January 18 (Peter Marsh Chase; Champion Hurdle Trial; Long Distance Hurdle)

Saturday, February 8 (Red Square Vodka Brush Hurdles Final)

Saturday, March 1 (Red Square Vodka Gold Cup)

Saturday, March 29

Saturday, May 3 (Swinton Hurdle)