SINCE its acquisition of the Caymanas Park horse racing complex in 2017, Supreme Ventures Limited, through its subsidiary Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL), has invested $2.2 billion into the project, the company has said.

In a document obtained by the Jamaica Observer, the company said that it had also paid over US$915,000 in advance for three years to the Government “as a demonstration of its commitment to Caymanas and the horse racing industry”.

The money will be used to cover the annual lease of US$305,000 from the business which Supreme Ventures said earned “99.9 per cent” of its revenue in Jamaica dollars.

SVREL said that it had done “key infrastructural improvements” to the facility, which it said included the physical plant and track. It said that 35 new stables are to be built while others have been refurbished.

In addition, a new well was commissioned to ensure a steady supply of water at the facility. SVREL also said that it had acquired new water trucks, and tractors to make the task of accessing water simpler.

“We are in constant dialogue with the occupants of the stables, especially on how to clean and control the insects in the environment they occupy and manage. We ensure that pest control methods are employed frequently but as with any outdoor environment where large animals are housed, crawling insects are expected and have been dealt with on an ongoing basis,” the company said in response to an article recently which stated that insects like scorpions were making horses uncomfortable.

“The Caymanas product has been reshaped reflecting a variety of improvements. Horseracing lovers are now experiencing carnival type racing at Caymanas Park with Derby/Guineas/Super Stakes and Diamond Mile happening over a two-day period.

Diamond Mile, which just concluded had a record number of 280 entries over 24 races.

In fact, in the history of Caymanas Park, one has ever seen 24 races run back-to-back – a move that must be commended. With this upgrade in the product, plans are now being looked at for Caymanas Park to become a tourist destination,” the company said.

“SVREL has demonstrated its commitment to the success of Caymanas Park through the hosting of the annual TOBA yearling sale, increased the purses by $100 million, when we took over the reins in March 2017, which was done before we started doing business at the track. The $52.50 return on a $50 bet was implemented.

“We have put in significant capital investment to expand the OTB (Off Track Betting) network by almost 100 per cent- resulting in growth from 68 – 120 locations islandwide. SVREL has implemented new bet types such as Parlay (accumulator betting).” The company also bragged about its upgrading of the tote system.

“SVREL invested in a global top five tote system upgrade which provided not only a more efficient system, but a new Mobile Betting platform, (MBET), which provides punters with betting options at their fingertips.

“In addition, the company has implemented Guyana Tote Operations, which allowed for the simulcast of Caymanas, UK, and North American racing in Guyana.

“We have built a new, stateof- the-art computer room for Caymanas from the ground up, providing much-needed updated equipment and layout to manage the racing product. We have acquired and implemented a new HD quality broadcast and production system, which showcases our product in broadcast quality comparable to anywhere in the world.

“We have reinstated the much-missed English racing and added Irish racing at a $10 bet minimum, making it affordable for our punters to participate in bigger pools through commingling in the English pool through fractional and Inter-Tote wagering (ITW).

“SVREL, and therefore Jamaica, is now compatible with Equibase’s simulcast platform, so North America, Canada and any track overseas can now wager on Caymanas through our ITW configuration. The first time ever in the 60-year history of the track we have commenced exporting local horse racing signal.

“The track now boasts a state-of- the-art Photo Finish Camera System, the same system used at all major sporting event such as the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, and the Breeder’s Cup.

“Our focus has definitively been on improving the core infrastructure at the track and bring the operations to a level that prepares us to showcase our product globally and ensure the professionalism at the racing level. A new and much-improved website for Caymanas Park boasts visits from 120 countries across the globe and is averaging almost one million hits per month,” the document went on.