Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green has lauded Supreme Ventures’ leadership in revitalising the horse racing industry in Jamaica.

Speaking at the post-position draw for Mouttet Mile at ROK Hotel on December 3, Green noted that the industry has experienced “rebirth” under Supreme Ventures’ guidance at Caymanas Park.

“We all have seen a sort of rebirth of horse racing under their leadership or guidance at Caymanas Park,” Green said.

“I had the opportunity earlier this year to visit the track and look at some of the improvements that they have made, and not just to the track and not just to the infrastructure, but importantly, to the product that we have and the product that we offer to the rest of the world,” the minister further said.

Green praised the improvements made to the track, infrastructure, and the overall product offered to the world. He emphasised the importance of taking a business-oriented approach to ensure the industry’s continued growth and success.

“As you would have heard, there was a time that people looked to Jamaica and our horse racing prowess, and we believe that we can get back to that time, but we have to take a business-oriented approach to ensure that we get back to that time. I think the Supreme Ventures team is taking that business-oriented approach. I think we should give them a big round of applause,” Green said.

The minister also highlighted the critical role of agriculture in supporting the horse racing industry, particularly in terms of horse health and veterinary services.

“You might not know what the truth is, like all good things in life, agriculture is at the heart of it,” Green said. “I mean, like getting new horse racing, agriculture is at the heart of it for the horses and the importance of their health, and our veterinarians who worked extremely hard at the track.”

Green commended the ministry’s team for their hard work in ensuring the quality of requirements for the importation of new horses, with over 20 horses already arriving in the country under the programme.

“When I went to the track earlier this year, it was on behalf of our vets who worked around the clock to provide critical services to our horses at Caymanas Park.

“But inside of that, clearly, all of our horses have farms, stables, farm hands, and trainers that have whole agriculture ecosystem that benefits significantly when we have an active horse racing sector,” he said.

The minister expressed optimism about the future of the industry, citing the potential for Jamaica to once again become a renowned hub for horse racing.

“As such, it is in our interest to see how we can work together to keep this moving in the right direction,” Green said.

“I think this is a lot of where we have seen where the private sector comes together with government and looks at policy. We try to use policy to really revitalise a sector.

“We have done that through strategic financial policy, where we have taken off the duties so that we can have a new stock of racing animals, and that has been going well,” he added.

The Mouttet Mile, won by Funcaandun ridden by jockey Robert Halledeen, was a testament to the industry’s growth and potential.