Its popularity has waned somewhat over the years, but the excitement and anticipation of Saturday’s 37th running of the prestigious Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup was still evident at the Garrison Savannah yesterday afternoon.
There were a number of scurry races, with amateur jockeys riding retired horses, followed by the light-hearted pop quiz that saw patrons winning prizes for correctly answering questions on the sport of kings.
Those activities, along with the pre-race day betting, will certainly set the stage for the most prestigious horse race in the southern Caribbean when around 1 200 horse-racing fans are expected to pack the Grand Stand ahead of the noon start to the 11-race card.
“The vibes have been good. Bajans only have to hear Gold Cup and they will flock to the Garrison in their numbers every year. This year should be no different, rain fall or sun shine,” Barbados Turf Club’s liaison officer Mohommed Mohamad told the Saturday Sun last night.
The starting time for the Gold Cup is slated for 4:30 p.m. but the feature race will be preceded by the traditional one-hour parade from 3:30 p.m.
This year’s pre-race spectacle will see some new additions, including a performance by legendary ten-time Pic O De Crop Calypso Monarch and reigning Soca Monarch Red Plastic Bag. It will culminate with Richard Stoute Teen Talent winner Trinity Clarke singing Beautiful Barbados, which has become the unofficial Gold Cup anthem.
The Gold Cup race, which carries a lucrative first prize of $214 000, will see imported horses Shining Copper and Sir Dudley Digges, who are representing the United States, trying to dethrone two-time champion Dorsett of Barbados.
All 11 races are named after a feature of the Sandy Lane resort, from the award-winning Spa to the signature L’Acajou fine dining restaurant. In its 22 years as title sponsor, the West Coast hotel has donated a grand total of $4.8 million in prize money since 1996.
International coverage will be provided by The Horse Racing Radio Network, located in Kentucky, United States, beaming a live stream to over 300 million horse-racing fans throughout the world beginning at 3 p.m. on www.horseracingradio.net.
The network’s Mike Penna and Jude Feld will be joined by NBC and New York’s Racing Association announcer Larry Collmus live from the Garrison.
The weather forecast is for fair to partly cloudy conditions with a few brief, isolated showers. (EZS)
