More can be done to make the Mouttet Mile Race Day better — Gary Peart
Executive chairman of Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) Gary Peart says the inaugural staging of the Mouttet Mile (invitational) was a huge success for the racing industry.
The Mouttet Mile carried a total purse of US$125,000 ($18 million) making it the largest amount for a single event offered in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Along with the historic Mouttet Mile, there was also the Chairman’s Plate, worth US$25,000 ($3 million). The remaining nine races on the card each carried purses worth $1 million and more, making for a total of over $31 million in purses offered on the day.
Executive Force, owned by ACK Stables, trained by Philip Feanny and ridden by Bebeto Harvey, won the Mouttet Mile by a length and a quarter in a time of 1:41.0.
“It was a brilliant day of horse racing. I am so happy and I have always said to people that I wanted five horses down the last furlong to find a winner, and we had that today. Congratulations to Philip Feanny, Excessive Force, and the owners of Excessive Force. It was a brilliant Mouttet Mile, and we’re looking forward to next year to make it bigger and better,” Peart said
“It was amazing. On the day we have had so many non-favourites win, it shows that when people can race for good money we can find out the best of horses, and we found that out today. You know, Excessive Force wasn’t one of the favourites, and I mean, he won by a proper length,” Peart added.
He said that, while the day was a success, there is more that can be done to make the Mouttet Mile even bigger and better next year.
“The turnout, we have to look at that. On the infield, we had a massive turnout, and we also have to think about what is happening in the stands. We had some people here, but next year will be much better,” Peart said.
“We will figure out how we can get more people here because racing is something that Jamaicans love, and we want more Jamaicans at the track. What I can say to you is that we have broken all the records in betting, and so it shows that if some people weren’t here at the track, they were at our OTBs [off-track betting sites], and we are very happy about that,” he ended.
— Ruddy Allen
