… Guyana Cup preparations moving apace

The Port Mourant Turf Club CARICOM horse race meet was hailed a success on Sunday last. Despite heavy rainfall during the May-June season, and hours before the start of the race, the track stood firm.

Fans turned out in high numbers and were treated to a spectacular show with high-quality horse racing action. Credit was given to the KP Jagdeo Racing Stables, who worked overtime to maintain a solid track.

According to an official from the Jagdeo Racing Stables, work on the Port Mourant track commenced since in December 2023.

“Firstly, I would like to thank the patrons for coming out despite the rain. We have been doing a lot of work on the track from since late last year. We are reaping the success now. They were a lot of rainfall during the May-June season, and we had a lot of rain on the eve of the race. A lot of people was uncertain whether they would be races, but the track held up good. That was because of the preparation.”

“Guyana Cup is the pinnacle of horse racing in Guyana. Everyone always turn out, and I would like to thank the fans in advance. Without fans, we cannot have racing, and I want to thank them in advance for supporting Guyana Cup,” the official stated.
Easy Time won at the most recent race, and the champion horse will be aiming to defend his Guyana Cup title on August 11 at Rising Sun Turf Club. The 16th running of the Guyana Cup is organised by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing and more than 40 million Guyana dollars in cash being paid out, and the top horse for the feature race will be rewarded a whopping sum of $11,625,000.

Last year’s Guyana Cup saw a total purse of $24 million across all races, while the top horse in the feature event won $10 million.
According to organisers, the 2024 Guyana Cup will certainly be the biggest, and the day will be packed with side attractions. The first-ever fun park is set to ignite the Rising Sun Turf Club, where kids will witness a parading bar on spot, and multiple stages will be set up across the venue.
Ten races are listed on the provisional programme, and entries will open from July 27 and close on August 3. No late entries will be accepted at this year’s Guyana Cup.
With this year’s Guyana Cup purse being the biggest in the Caribbean, horses from various countries will be compelled to travel to Guyana and battle for supremacy.
In addition to the feature event, which will run at approximately 1800 metres, other races on the provisional card include: the 1600-metre derby, 1000-metre Sprint Classic, the 1000-metre two-year-old, 1000-metre F1 class, the 1600-metre H1 class, the 1400-metre J & Lower, 1400-metre K Class, 1400-metre L Class and 1400-metre non-earners.