EVEN RICHER?

GARY PEART, executive chairman of Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), operators of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), says his organisation is not ruling out the possibility of increasing the purse for next year’s Mouttet Mile, even as the event continues to solidify its status as the richest race in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Mouttet Mile carries a purse of $45 million. The other co-feature on yesterday’s 11-race card was the Bruceontheloose Trophy, which carries a purse of $18 million.

Peart told The Gleaner that while the current purse is already historic, discussions about expansion and further growth remain active.

“Let’s see. I mean where the purse is now it is one of the highest that we have seen in recent history. The race is already the richest race in the English-speaking Caribbean, so as to how much additional benefits you will get from increasing the purse that will be looked at,” he said.

According to Peart, the Mouttet Mile, which was staged for the fourth time yesterday, has been expanding each year not only in prize money but also in international exposure and broadcast reach.

“Every year it is getting bigger. For example, the first year, we showed the Mouttet Mile race on Fox, this year it is three races, the Mouttet Mile, the Bruceontheloose Trophy, and the Chairman’s Cup, so the partnership with Fox continues to grow every year,” he said.

Peart also noted that the collaboration with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) could soon extend even further.

“There are considerations for NYRA to introduce a race in New York where the winner of that race automatically enters the Mouttet Mile in Jamaica, so it is about the expansion,” Peart said.

Peart added that the growth of the event is tied to the broader development plans for Caymanas Park, including the potential acquisition of the property.

“It is one of the things that we have discussed with the Government that if we are able to purchase the property, we can increase the pace of development over here,” he said.

Peart described this year’s Mouttet Mile as one of the most competitive renewals in the history of the event.

“This was one of the most competitive races ever assembled at Caymanas Park and if we look at what happened, our Guyanese brothers sent two horses here and you have a consortium of women purchasing RIDEALLDAY and you have you traditional people Jason daCosta and his crew and so you have seen the improvements because a lot of these horses were purchased to try and win this race, so the quality is increasing so with the association with NYRA a lot of international owners are looking on,” he said.

Peart also highlighted how significant the presence of world-class jockey American Javier Castellano was for the Jamaican racing product.

Castellano won the multimillion-dollar purse aboard RIDEALLDAY, owned by a consortium of women, including multiple world champion and Olympic medallist, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

“Jockey Javier Catellano is usually riding in the United States on Sigar Mile day so that is why we couldn’t get him in the last three years and now he has chosen to come to Jamaica and ride in the Mouttet Mile as opposed to riding in the Sigar Mile, so that is huge and I think as the different facets come together, the local horseracing industry continues to improve,” he said.