Jockey Paul Delph won the first-ever Guyana Cup in 2007
Paul Delph was the first jockey to win a Guyana Cup back in the inaugural edition in 2007. Delph piloted Ice Follies of the Jagdeo Racing Stables.
He also recorded wins in 2012 and 2014, with Ellies Vision and C.P Got Even respectively. The 16th running of the Guyana Cup, which is set for August 11 will be one where Delph will want to script history, becoming the second jockey to win the feature race at four Guyana Cups.
Currently, Colin Ross is the only jockey with four wins of the feature race in the prestigious Guyana Cup. According to Delph, who is known among his peers as Lil’ Paul, he is looking forward to a good day where he will be eyeing his fourth Guyana Cup feature race win.
“You need some luck on the day. All the horses are working well ahead of the Guyana Cup. As a jockey, you have to exercise a lot. That is the main thing, fitness is important,” Paul said.
He disclosed that he weighs 110 pounds and he eats the right food.
The Guyana Cup will be the biggest event ever in the history of local horse racing, and Paul is excited to win big.
Meanwhile, Jockey Ross, who won his first Guyana Cup in 2008, also recorded wins in 2017, 2018 and 2022. With his current form and knowledge, Ross is tipped to become the first jockey to five Guyana Cup wins.
The 16th running of the Guyana Cup is organised by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing, with more than 40 million Guyana dollars in cash for prize money. Last year’s Guyana Cup saw a total purse of $24 million.
According to organisers, the 2024 Guyana Cup will certainly be the biggest, and the day will be packed with side attractions. The first-ever fun park is set to ignite the Rising Sun Turf Club, where kids will witness a parading bar on spot, and multiple stages will be set up across the venue. The biggest DJ competition will also ignite Rising Sun Turf Club, where top DJs will battle for supremacy.
Ten races are listed on the provisional programme, and registration closes on August 3. No late entries will be accepted at this year’s Guyana Cup.
In addition to the feature event, which will run at approximately 1800 metres, other races on the provisional card include: the 1600-metre derby, 1000-metre Sprint Classic, the 1000-metre two-year-old, 1000-metre F1 Class, the 1600-metre H1 Class, the 1400-metre J & Lower, 1400-metre K Class, 1400-metre L Class and 1400-metre non-earners.
