Post to Post for April 9 Guineas classics

The season's first classics, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas for native-bred three-year-old fillies and colts, respectively, will be run over a mile at Caymanas Park on Saturday, April 9 and for the second consecutive year Post to Post Betting are title sponsors.

Plans for the 42nd annual Guineas Day were outlined by representatives of the sponsors and Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) at yesterday's launch on the front lawns of Caymanas Park. Each race offers a purse of $3.25 million.

According to Mikey Bell, sports betting manager, Post to Post Betting (P2P), the company has donated $4 million towards the day's activities, including $1 million towards the purses of each Guineas, another million to support the remaining races on the card and a further million to promote the race.

CTL's racing secretary Denzil Miller Jr., said the two races, which represent the first legs of the Triple Crown series, are eagerly anticipated by racing fans.

"They provide a real test for the three-year-olds for the Jamaica Derby two months later and is part of $17 million in total purses for the Triple Crown series this year," noted Miller.

He added that both races should be keenly contested, with last Saturday's impressive Thornbird Stakes winner, the obvious ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas in which

others such as SORRENTINO'S STAR, SIMPLY THE BEST, BIRD CATCHER, BUBBLING KITTEN and CLASSY AVIATOR should carry the fight to the Gary Subratie-trained filly.

In the 2000 Guineas, Miller singled out CHACE THE GREAT, winner of last Saturday's Prince Consort Stakes, along with the runner-up ORPEHUS. But he disclosed that ante-post favourite, FUTURE KING, winner of the $4.2 million Supreme Ventures Jamaica 2-Y-O Stakes over a mile last Boxing Day, is a doubtful starter.

"The Wayne DaCosta-trained colt was a late scratch from the overnight allowance race last Saturday owing to a foot injury and it will be a race against time for him to recover. But as we all know, the welfare of the horse comes first and we are hoping for the best," added the racing secretary.

REACH AND ENGAGE

Bell said: "From our involvement last year we noted that this calendar event attracts a mixture of horse racing and sports enthusiasts, affording P2P the opportunity to reach and engage a wider cross-section of target groups with our growing product offerings, as we continue to deliver our promises that customers always 'Get the most with Post to Post'," he said.

"Trading as P2P Betting & Gaming Entertainment, our mainstay remains primarily wagering in horse racing. Following the 2015 rebranding exercise, our horse racing product P2P AnyHorse is the lead brand in the sponsorship. And P2P AnyBet engages customers in a variety of international sports," he added.

Also speaking was Cedric Stewart, CEO of Caymanas Track Limited, while among those present were executives of Post to Post Betting, including the CEO, Sandra Donaldson, operations manager Carl Gowdie and board chairman Amber Stewart.