THE Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) is once again on board with the Kennard’s Turf Club annual Phagwah Horse Race meet that is scheduled for Sunday at the club’s facility, Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.

Yesterday, the BBCI handed over a sponsorship cheque and a trophy for the first race on the day’s six-race meet which is scheduled to get under way at 13:00hrs.
The opening event which the company is sponsoring will be for horses classified K1 and Lower and will over a five-furlong distance.
The winner will receive $120 000 and the BBCI trophy, while the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will take home $60 000, $30 000 and $15 000 respectively.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony yesterday, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Omadat Samaroo, said this is not the first time that the BBCI has come on board to sponsor horse racing events at the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club, since in 2013 and 2014, they sponsored a total of seven events and they will continue to support horse racing at the facility.
He said the BBCI is also looking at a wider cross section of sports and not only horse racing. He said the company also make contributions to non-charitable, Government, non-Governmental and other entertainments.
According to Samaroo, the company decided to get on board the event mainly due to the fact that horse racing has created a great attraction to Berbicians, and the profits generated from the meetings are used to upgrade the facilities at the race track and for general improvements of horse racing in Guyana.
“BBCI not only plays the role of collecting tools and facilitating vehicles crossing the bridge and vessels transiting through the retractor opening and under the high span, but also discharges its corporate responsibilities and more importantly, played an integral part in the development of education, sports, supported national events and made donations to charitable and non-charitable organisations in close proximity of the bridge or in Region 5 and 6,” Samaroo stated.
He said in the past and at present, the company has and will continue to sponsor events that benefit the communities both on the Eastern and Western sides of the bridge.
Samaroo said for the year 2015, the BBCI has so far received 42 requests for assistance and managed to approve 37, comprising sponsorship for Mashramani 2015 events.
In accepting the cheque and trophy from Samaroo, former Chief Justice Cecil Kennard thanked the BBCI on behalf of the directors of the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club and himself for their continued support to the club’s activities.
The former Chancellor of the Judiciary noted that the BBCI has been very supportive to the club over the past years that it has been in existence and he is very grateful.
According to Kennard, over 60 horses have been registered for the various events and the condition of the track is fine despite the weather conditions.
He assured that the day’s activity will be very entertaining.
The feature event on the day’s card is open to horses classified `A1 and Lower’ over a seven-furlong distance and will carry a first prize purse valued at $1M, while the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will receive $500 000, $250 000 and $125 000 respectively.
However, Kennard said this prize money will only be on offer once there are six or more horses in the event. Should there be less than six horses the winner will receive $700 000, while the second- to fourth-place finishers will earn $350 000, $175 000 and $87 000 respectively.

By Michael DaSilva