THOROUGHBRED racing is by far the most popular sport in Jamaica. It is not seasonal. Every Saturday of every week, every Public Holiday (except Good Friday and Christmas), some 6,000 people and more are at Caymanas Park eating, drinking and enjoying the wonderful spectacle that is horse racing. In addition to this, 20,000 and more are scattered throughout the island at sports lounges and betting parlours partaking in events of the day.

Some people see racing as nothing more than another form of sinful gambling, but I keep reminding them and emphasising that there is so much more to racing

the beauty of motion, the athletic ability of horse and jockey, the craftsmanship and professionalism of trainer and groom, the opportunities for merchandising and trade-the list will go on and on. It is against this background that commerce and industry have been attracted to racing. Over the years, they have seen racing as a major marketing initiative. Millions of dollars have poured into racing through corporate sponsorship. In addition sponsors have spent millions more on marketing the event – customer appreciation functions, product giveaways, prizes and entertainment, among many other marketing and promotional initiatives.

Over the years the major and most supportive sponsor used to be Desnoes and Geddes, now re-named Red Stripe. There Red Stripe Superstakes for three-year-olds and over was promoted to become our most important race. In fact, what evolved was a weekend of thoroughbred activity – “THE RED STRIPE SUPERSTAKES” weekend. Visitors arrived from abroad not only for the race but also for the annual yearling sale. Foreign jockeys came to ride that week end. The race was beamed live to Aqueduct Racetrack in New York where they had a special Red Stripe Super Day. The annual yearling sale of the Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Association (TOBA) was held on the Sunday. This was the event of the year to which racing enthusiasts looked forward and it was promoted as such. Not only did Red Stripe provide added purses for the Super Stakes but a number of other races benefited. This was indeed a Super Red Stripe day of racing.

This year we welcome Burger King who has now become the major sponsor of the Super Stakes and we are looking forward to what we expect to be a long-term relationship. Will we be having a Burger King Day at Aqueduct in New York? We hope that over time this, along with an invitation to overseas jockeys and horses, will be a part of this prestigious promotion .There participation is a major inducement for new investors who see the increased purse money as an important attraction.

A lot has been written about the multimillion-dollar Diamond Mile introduced by the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission to be run on December 5th. This promises to be the richest race in the Caribbean and is a major stimulus to the restructuring of the racing industry. These important inducements come against the background of the imminent divestment of Caymanas Park Ltd, and the hope is that these new and vibrant sponsorships will bring a whole new dimension to this most important industry.

The annual yearling sale on Sunday November 15 promises to be bigger and better than ever before. We have buyers from Barbados. Trinidad and Tobago and now Guyana who are here for the first time. The performance of Jamaican-bred horses is legendary. We are fortunate to have ideal conditions for breeding good horses. TOBA has planned a prestigious awards dinner which we hope will become an annual affair. Let me close with these words:

‘To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream; not only plan but also believe.”

“Follow the trail to your dreams, not the path of others’ expectations.”

“The great essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”

Howard Hamilton is an owner and breeder, a former chairman of Caymanas Track Limited and the current president of the Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’ Association. Hamilton is also one of the principals of the breeding farm, HAM Stables.