Local, regional, and international jockeys are gearing up for the 16th running of the Guyana Cup on August 11 at the Rising Sun Turf Club, West Coast Berbice (WCB).
This year’s Guyana Cup will be the biggest ever, with more than $40 million in cash and prizes. The feature race will feature a whopping sum of 11,625,000. This lucrative event has attracted jockeys from near and far, and they are eager to bring their A game.
Colin Ross, who is arguably Guyana’s number one jockey, and was the champion jockey for 2023, said his primary goal was to win. He said he would put his best foot forward to return to winning ways.
“With the Guyana Cup coming up, I will push harder. There will be a lot of people coming out to see the races and the prize money is bigger. I am pushing my body to come out on top. Since 2024 started, I have been doing good, but not so good (as I did last year), but from now to the end of the year, I will try to push myself to do better for the last half of the year,” Ross explained.
Jockeys will have their eyes on the big prize at the Guyana Cup
Meanwhile, Trinidadian jockey Rico Hernandez described the 16th running of the Guyana Cup as a special one, and he is hoping to left his mark come August 11 at Rising Sun.
“This Guyana Cup occasion is very special. We are taking our time, building the confidence that we need, and making sure the horses are in order and happy going into the Guyana Cup. As a jockey, the goal is always to win, but we must get the horses with good abilities, and we must prove that we are capable,” jockey Hernandez explained.
Jockey Ronaldo Appadu, another top jockey in Guyana, said he was looking forward for the best. “I am working very hard to be champion jockey, so I think I will take it this year. I have a lot of haters, so I put them aside, and I worked hard on the job to get improvement, so I am thankful for that,” Appadu said.
Last year’s Guyana Cup saw a total purse of $24 million across all races, and the top horse in the feature event was paid out $10 million. This year’s Guyana Cup has seen an increase in prize money of close to $16 million.
Jockey Colin Ross and connections with the Master Z Racing Stables will be hoping to see Easy Time defend his Guyana Cup title
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 children will witness a parading bar on spot, and multiple stages will be set up across the venue.
The fun park and the horse racing combined will provide the perfect recipe for a fun-filled day for the entire family. “This is something Guyana has never witnessed,” an organiser said.
Ten races will be on the Guyana Cup card, and registration has already been opened. It will close on August 3, and no late entries will be accepted at this year’s Guyana Cup.
With this year’s Guyana Cup purse being the biggest in the Caribbean, horses from various countries will be compelled to travel to Guyana and battle for supremacy.
In addition to the feature event, which will run at approximately 1800 metres, races on the provisional card include the 1600m Derby, 1000m Sprint Classic, 1000m Two-year-old, 1000m F1 Class, 1600m H1 Class, 1400m J & Lower, 1400m K Class, 1400m L Class, and 1400m Non-earners.
