Port Mourant Banks Classic set for Feb 1

The Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, in collaboration with beverage giants Banks DIH, will host the “Banks Classic” on Sunday, February 1, at Port Mourant Turf Club.
The exciting horse race meet will be the first of four nomination days for the 2026 edition of the Guyana Cup, which is slated for August. 10 races are on the cards for the second race day of the year, and more than $15 million will be up for grabs.
According to organisers, the top horse in the feature one-mile event will be rewarded $2 million.

Other races on the provisional card include the Sprint Classic Open, the F Class and Lower Open to E Class non-winners in their last start, four-year-old imported maidens in Guyana, three-year-old Guyana-bred non-winners of two races, L Class maidens open to first-time starters, G Class and Lower Open to F Class non-winners in their last three starts, I Class and Lower Open to West Indian bred non-winners in their last two starts classified to H Class, J3 and Lower, L Class Open, and L Class non-earners for 2025 and 2026.
Entries for this race will be accepted from January 18 and will close on January 28. Entry forms can be uplifted at Port Mourant Turf Club, Rising Sun Turf Club, Bush Lot United Turf Club, and Georgetown.
Horses will not be able to race without an entry form. Earlier this week, the Guyana Cup Committee officially released the 2026 Guyana Cup Nomination Series, covering the Guyana Cup (Mile), Guyana Cup Sprint, and Guyana-Bred Derby.
Three races, four nomination days, one championship season.
The nomination days are February 1, 2026, at Port Mourant Turf Club; April 5, 2026, at Port Mourant Turf Club; May 3, 2026, at Bush Lot United Turf Club; and July 5, 2026, at Port Mourant Turf Club (Final Nomination Day).
The Banks Classic will be the first of those nomination days, and all horses will be keen on putting their best foot forward to secure their spots for the prestigious Guyana Cup.
New Year’s Day stakes saw top horses absent. The return of those horses is anticipated for the Banks Classic next month. Olympic Kremlin and Dataman are yet to battle on a level playing field, and the Banks Classic could be a spectacle for those horses.