By Orville Clarke, Freelance Reporter
Red Stripe's managing director, Mark McKenzie (left) presents the magnificent Red Stripe Superstakes Trophy to CTL's executive manager for marketing, Millicent Lynch (right) at Tuesday's 'Superday' launch at the Vibes Sports & Fitness Centre, Spanish Town Road. Looking on are Red Stripe's marketing director Wayne Lawrence (second left) and Carlo Redwood (second right), marketing manager of beer. - WINSTON SILL/Freelance Photographer
SUPERDAY 2004 was launched on Tuesday evening with Red Stripe's managing director Mark McKenzie announcing that the November 13 Super-stakes programme will offer total purse money of $11 million, including $4 million for the 26th running of the Red Stripe Superstakes (invitational) over 2000 metres.
Addressing racing personnel including representatives of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) and the Jamaica Racing Commis-sion (JRC), along with members of the press inside the Vibes Sports and Fitness Centre, Spanish Town Road, McKenzie disclosed that Red Stripe had relinquished sponsorship of the Jamaica Derby, but at the same time reiterated his company's annual commitment to the Superstakes.
McKenzie noted that for more than five decades Red Stripe has held the enviable position as the single longest-serving corporate sponsor of racing.
"Red Stripe Superstakes provides the blue print that guides the happenings and offerings of other corporate racedays. In fact, it has long been the standard bearer, the benchmark by which others are judged.
EXCITEMENT AND WINNINGS
"The activities at the track, as in previous years will engage the turfites providing them with enough excitement and winnings to keep them fully entertained and content.
"With a free bet and free beer for the first 1000 punters as they enter the gates at Caymanas Park, Red Stripe beer for $50 each, a rich $11 million purse plus so many other attractions, patrons can once again expect a raceday that is unsurpassed in fun and excitement.
"So after many years of investing not just funds but time and effort to host superb racedays for the benefit of the horseracing industry, we believe we have created an enduring industry. It is for this reason that we are convinced that our investment in the racing industry is money well spent.
"We would therefore like to take this opportunity to announce that effective June 2005, Red Stripe will relinquish its title sponsorship of Red Stripe Derby.
"In so doing it will allow us to explore a myriad of other investment opportunities at the track. Already, we have identified a number of new projects that we will undertake jointly with Caymanas Track Limited.
"These projects, you can rest assured, will keep Red Stripe at the track right through the year, interacting with our valued punters and consumers rather than being there only on particular sponsored racedays. This augurs well for the type of relationship that we have cemented with CTL. We are in this for the long haul".
In providing raceday details, CTL's racing secretary Denzil Miller Jr. said in addition to the Superstakes, other sponsored races are the 16th running of the $2 million Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint Championship for which the reigning 'Horse of the Year' A KING IS BORN, is the leading contender; the Red Stripe Mile for imported horses; Red Stripe 2-Y-O Breeders Stakes over 1400 metres in which either KAMIR or COLTRANE will represent trainer Richard Azan's powerful two-year-old outfit and JACK SPARROW the barn of many-time champion trainer Philip Feanny; and the Red Stripe Claiming Sprint ($140,000) which offers a total purse of $345,000.
TOP CONTENDERS
The Superstakes field should include top contenders and stable-companions I'MSATISFIED and DISTINCTLY IRISH, along with HERECOMESFUDGIE, STEROFABULOUS, GOOD TO GO, GOOD PROSPECT and last year's winner PITTACUS, among others.
The day will also feature the Red Stripe Jockeys' Challenge which last year was won jointly by local champion Trevor Simpson and Deshawn Parker from Mountaineer Park.
Parker will return along with former local champion Andrew Ramgeet, who has been riding successfully at the West Virginia track, along with Ossie Pereira who is joint second in the Mountaineer Park standings with Parker.
Also speaking were CTL's executive manager for marketing Millicent Lynch; Maxine Whit-tingham, head of communications Red Stripe, the company's marketing director Wayne Lawrence and Carlo Redwood, marketing manager of beers.
