SIX years ago, Nasrudeen Mohamed, an ardent horseracing fan introduced a one day of exciting horseracing to the local horseracing fraternity and called it the Guyana Cup, having at stake, a total purse of G$5M in cash and prizes. One week from today, the said event, which is a household name in the local horseracing fraternity, will gallop off at the Port Mourant Turf Club, having at stake, over G$30M in cash and prizes, with two feature events slated to whet the appetite of those in attendance.
According to coordinator of the event Melissa Chattergoon, who is also an ardent horse racing fan, last year’s event was an extreme success as thousands of guests from around the world attended and this year should be no different for the event which is by far, the largest horse racing event in Guyana and in Guyana’s history, awarding the highest prize money.
“This is an annual event and we at Jumbo Jet are committed to maintaining this tradition alive and would like to have it included as part of the national list of activities that persons can look forward to every year.
I decided to get involved a few years ago because my family has always been big horse racing fans since I can remember and I wanted to get the entire country to love the sport as much as we do,” stated Chattergoon.
She added, “This event is a tradition, started by Jumbo Jet Auto sales and we would like to see it continue to grow. It started six years ago with a total purse of G$5M and has increased by G$5M each year, as we are giving away G$30M in this year’s event.
We are advertising to an overseas audience also, because we would like Guyanese who are coming home for vacation to put this on their list of must do events. The Guyana Cup is the largest horse racing event in Guyana and will feature some of Guyana’s best horses, while being considered a true championship event.”
According to the soft spoken Chattergoon, the Guyana Cup is the best horse racing event in Guyana as it encourages horse owners to continue working as hard as they do on their horses and they can compete to win a very satisfying amount.
“It also pulls a lot of crowd because it’s a family oriented event, as families use this day as an opportunity to spend quality time together in the outdoors watching the country’s best horses and jockeys battle for supremacy. And for those who have never been to a horse racing event before, this a good opportunity to see what one is like.”
Quizzed on security measures being put in place by the organisers of the event, Chattergoon quickly responded by saying adequate security measures will be in place to ensure order and discipline amongst those turfites, who at times find themselves on the track to continue celebrating a victory.
“We at Jumbo Jet have left no stone unturned in our efforts to make this event a successful and enjoyable one for those who will be in attendance on race day.
To this effect, we have extended the grand stand for spectator’s convenience, renovated the track, built additional stables to accommodate the horses and will be giving away free tickets over the radio on 98.1FM and via a television programme, while Slingerz Sound System will provide the musical entertainment and Banks DIH, the beers and beverages,” said Chattergoon.
“We will also be having top jockeys from Guyana and overseas countries such as Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the United States of America battling for the top jockey prize, so all in all, it will be a memorable day for everyone in attendance, as we intend to make this the best Guyana Cup ever.”
Meanwhile, with sponsorship playing an integral role towards the success of any sport, Chattergoon and her co-coordinator Compton Sancho received the trophies that will be up for grabs last Thursday from The Trophy Stall at Bourda Market, while Chattergoon received a cheque for $200,000 from Hand In Hand Insurance later that day.
Nine races are carded for the day, with the first going off at 13:00hrs and caters for horses classified ‘B’ and Lower and covering a distance of 1400metres, with a first place prize of G$3M, while the second, third and fourth placed finishers will receive G$1.5M, G$750,000 and G$375,000 respectively.
The second is another top event for Guyana and West Indian bred three year old horses, who will do battle for a top prize of G$2M over the same distance, with the second, third and fourth placed finishers receiving G$1M, G$500,000 and G$250,000 each.
Two years old Guyana and West Indian bred horses will compete in the third event for a prize of G$1M, covering a distance of 1000metres, while horses classified E and Lower will battle for G$900,000, over a distance of 1200metres.
Other races on the day caters for horses classified G and Lower, Two year old Guyana bred, H and Lower, I and Lower and J, K and L and Lower, who will do battle over distances ranging from 1000metres to 1200metres accordingly.
Some of the horses slated to compete are Grande Roja, Marathon Man, Got to Go, Home Bush Baby, Who’s on the case, Appealing Harvest, Top of the Line, Captain Crook, Sabrina Joy, Big Impact, Serenity, Pride and Joy, Rosetta, I want Revenge, Princess Alisha, Another Jet, Its My Turn , Jipsy Jet, Dream Girl, Silent Night and Hard Runnings, just to name a few.
Horse owners are reminded that entries for the event close off tomorrow at which a 50% fee is required for every entry made, while they can contact Rajendra (Jim-Jo): 618-7278, Ramnauth: 337- 5311, Compton Sancho: 690-0569, Romell Jagroop 624-1798 and Sham Chattergoon: 641-9135 for any queries.
They are also reminded that the event is being run under the auspices of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority, which means that five horses must start a race in order for a third place prize to be paid, while an added two must start if a fourth place prize is to be paid.
Admission to the venue is adults $2,000, while children who are eight (8) years and under will be admitted free of cost. All tickets are sold at the gate.