Mayor of Kingston Senator Delroy Williams has lauded the Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) team for their additions to the lucrative Triple Crown series which includes the Kingston Cup, paying tribute to the history of horse-racing in Kingston.
Yesterday, while speaking at the post position draw for the inaugural running of The Kingston, Williams highlighted that despite Caymanas being the home of thoroughbreds today, Kingston and the track dates back to the 16th century with the first race course being laid in 1783 at the Kingston Racecourse, now known as the National Heroes Park. It was moved to Knutsford Park in the early 20th century and then to Caymanas Park in 1958.
Williams went on to highlight that many residents and visitors to the city still travel to the Sunshine City for horse-racing and that the addition of this cup aligns with the vision of having Kingston as a destination city. He was confident that this addition to the Triple Crown will add to its appeal and be profitable for the industry and stakeholders. He also expressed the appreciation of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation for the naming of the race in tribute to the capital city.
“We want to position Kingston as a full package. Jamaica is more than sand and sea and with initiatives such as these we are adding to the offering of the city and helping to build a brand that many persons will be enticed by and attracted to,” he explained.
The 1500m races will each carry a purse of $3 million and will be added to the usual Road to the Triple Crown, which includes the Hotline Stakes for fillies, the Sir Howard Stakes for colts and geldings, the Thornbird stakes for grade two fillies, and the Prince Consort Stakes for grade two colts and geldings.
The post position draw took place yesterday, May 4, 2021 at Caymanas Park with 12 horses scheduled to compete for The Kingston cup. Williams explained that the KSAMC was excited about this new relationship with Caymanas and looks forward to other partnerships in the near future.
