Janette Conie (left), general manager of Supreme Ventures Financial Services, presents million-dollar sponsorship cheque to CTL's marketing manager Millicent Lynch for the upcoming Boxing Day meet featuring the Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-y-o Stakes. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
SUPREME VENTURES Limi-(SVL) ted is batting solidly for horse racing at Caymanas Park.
Yesterday, the lotto giant an-nounced plans for a lucrative series of races for native-bred two-year-olds in 2005. The three races combined are worth a whopping $8.5 million including a million-dollar bonus to the owner winning all three.
Putting forward 50 per cent of the $8.5m in purses and bonus incentives announced for the three-race series, dubbed a 'two-year-old classic series', Supreme Ventures' chairman Paul Hoo described the trilogy of races as "the most lucrative two-year-old series in the Caribbean region".
The Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-0 series kicks off in October (Heroes Day) with a 1200-metre race which offers a total purse of $2 million. The second race over 1400 metres in November is worth $2.5 million. The series culminates on Boxing Day for the Super Challenge Trophy over 1600 metres, which offers a purse of $3 million.
PLANS OUTLINED
Plans for the new series and also the upcoming Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes on Boxing Day this year were outlined by representatives of the sponsors and promoters Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) at yesterday's press launch at the Knutsford Court Hotel, Ruthven Road.
Offering a total purse of $2.25 million, the Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes will feature a rematch between Richard Azan's Red Stripe Two-Year-Old Breeders Stakes winner COLTRANE and his stablemate KAMIR.
Racing secretary Denzil Miller said the new-look two-year-old series would be Allowance races, deviating from this year's format of Maiden events.
Former CTL director and Thou-roughbred Owners and Breeders Association member, Dr. Paul Wright, was over the moon in thanking SVL for their partnership and took time out to remind the gathering that it costs in excess of $300,000 to get a yearling to the sale.
MOST EXCITING NEWS
"This is the most exciting news I have heard in racing" said Dr. Wright in response to the sponsorship.
Of course, the upcoming Boxing Day race meet will be fun-filled, with SVL's Supreme Wheel of Fortune being in the North Lounge and Grandstand areas in addition to two Treasure Chests offering five prizes of $20,000 each on the day along with the popular Kiddies Stables. All proceeds will go to the Heart Foundation of Jamaica. In closing, Hoo said:
"Caymanas Track Limited and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) have been working tirelessly to constantly improve the offerings in the racing industry. Together, we have assessed the current series sponsorship for two-year-olds maidens and have worked out a Supreme package that will provide exciting incentives for the owners, trainers and their entire team, starting in 2005.
"In all, this very lucrative sponsorship is designed to bring more investors into the racing industry and it is hoped that more persons will aspire and make commitment to be owners of yearlings.
The true Jamaicdan entrepreneurial spirit will see more entrants investing in breeding, from which farms will produce more native bred two-year-olds for the industry. There will be job enrichment and sustainability for existing and potential workers in the industry".
-O.C
