Carib Brewery Limited Guineas, has invested close to $600,000 in sponsorship for Monday's Indian Arrival Day's Card at the Santa Rosa Park Racing Facility in O'Meara, Arima. The main event will be the Grade One–the Carib Brewery Limited Guineas for West Indian Bred three-year-old horses over 1,800 metres.
This was revealed by Carib's Sponsorship and Events Manager, Colin Murray yesterday, at the Brewery's Hospitality Suite, Champ Fleurs.
The former T&T and West Indies youth captain said with the global economic crisis now being experienced, sponsors are pulling out but his company has chosen to stay with the Carib Guineas. "We are not just putting money into this sponsorship. It is much more than that. We see horse racing as an industry which employs a lot of people. We at Carib are extremely proud and happy to be associated with the day's racing and also to pledge our continued support to the Arima Race Club," Murray said.
Eleven horses have taken entry in the feature which has a stakes value of $315,000, with the winner taking home a tidy $189,000.
The remaining races in the ten-race-card have all been named after Carib products. The Carib Guineas will also take on an international flavour, which has attracted several foreign-based Caribbean jockeys, who ply their trade on the North American Racing Circuit. Among them are Calder-based Wilmer Galviz and talented Barbadian rider Jonathan Jones, son of the legendary Challenor Jones. Galviz will ride Jamaican-bred favourite Treasure Hunt for trainer Douglas Bennett. Jones will have the ride on the Allan Madoo-owned Gold Bead, conditioned by champion trainer Glenn Mendez. Prize Money-1st - $189,000, 2nd - 63,000, 3rd - 31,500, 4th - 15,750, 5th - 9,450, 6th - 6,300. The Field-Go For The Gold - S Rodrigo, Grand Riviere - B Harding, Majestic - R P)erez, Gold Bead - J Jones, Will Power - N Abrego, Kickupastorm - N Patrick, D'Agency - J Cristalino, Sam's Hero-J Arneaud, Dionysus - E Rojas, Another Challenge - R Jadoo, Treasure Hunt - W Galviz.