PROMOTING company Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment (SVREL) yesterday announced the staging of the lucrative Mouttet Mile (invitational) which carries a total purse of US$125,000. This is the largest purse for a single event offered at Caymanas Park.

Along with the historic Mouttet Mile set for December 3, 2022, another new event, the Peter Stewart Memorial Plate worth US$25,000, will also be staged over nine furlongs and 25 yards for qualified horses at the Overnight Allowance level.

The Mouttet Mile takes its name from main sponsor Paul Mouttet, chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago-based Zodiac Caribbean Ventures Limited, currently the largest shareholder of SVREL’s mother company, Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL). The Peter Stewart Memorial Plate is named in honour of SVL’s founding Chairman Peter Stewart.

“There has been a longing for the return of racing on a grand scale in the Caribbean and with that in mind we have created the Mouttet Mile Invitational. As an ardent lover of horse racing and with the reverting of the vision of Caymanas Park, our family has been working closely with the team in Jamaica who put together what has become an eagerly anticipated signature event attracting a high number of entries as well as one that generates significant revenue for industry stakeholders.

“We believe in the Caymanas Park product and we want to play our part to continue to create more of those memories at the Park,” Mouttet said during a virtual press briefing.

The maximum number of 16 starting stalls will be made available for the Mouttet Mile, with four of those post positions allotted to overseas-based horses. If there are no foreign horses participating, the entire starting gate of 16 will be filled by local horses. Local horses will be invited by the promoting company to run in the Mouttet Mile, with stakes earned and past performances used as a guide. The Overnight Allowance Peter Stewart Plate Memorial will have a maximum of 12 starters.

Solomon Sharpe, chairman at SVREL welcomed the sponsorship from the Mouttet family.

“We are raising the bar, not just in the calibre of the races and the purses but we are also offering our ultra-premium experience on the infield, in the stands, and all of Caymanas Park. We are also hoping to add some lustre and excitement online and at the off-track betting platforms.

“Everyone who turns out for the Mouttet Mile Invitational and the Peter Stewart Plate Memorial will get an unmatched experience. We want to thank the Mouttet family for this great sponsorship as this has been three years in the making.”

Denzil Miller, racing secretary, said that the Mouttet Mile Invitational will not hinder the runners, who already have a hectic season of competition.

“The race day is ideally timed as the date gives the best native-bred three-year-olds adequate recuperation and preparation time following their gruelling Triple Crown campaign that started at the beginning of June with the 1000 and 2000 Guineas Classic races.

“The older thoroughbreds who will participate in the Jamaica Cup, the Port Royal Sprint on November 12, will have adequate time to prepare for the ultimate challenge in the Mouttet Mile.

“In addition, these horses will have sufficient time to prepare for the closing Grade One events of the season, that’s the Ian Levy Cup and the Christopher Armond Sprint at the end of December,” Miller explained.