Henry de Bromhead will rely on a mixture of some familiar faces and fresh talent at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The Knockeen handler has enjoyed exceptional Festival results in recent years, securing back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cup wins with Minella Indo and A Plus Tard in 2021 and 2022 respectively and successive Champion Hurdles with Honeysuckle.
Put The Kettle On, the 2021 Champion Chase victor, Triumph Hurdle hero Quilixios, Ryanair Chase winner Envoi Allen and dual Festival scorer Bob Olinger are others to have taken starring roles for De Bromhead in the last few years, with the trainer having 21 Festival winners on his record.
Honeysuckle bowed out in a blaze of glory in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle while A Plus Tard was retired last month, leaving De Bromhead to look to other quarters this time.
He said: “We’re probably not as strong as previous years but I probably feel that every year to be fair!
“Obviously our galacticos that we had are either a bit older now or have retired, but we have got a lot of nice young horses coming through and we’ll see how we get on.
“I’m not sure (how many we will send) yet, I’d say in and around 20, we try to keep it tight. Hopefully there’s plenty of nice ones there, so we will see how we go.”
Minella Indo is one of those who is back for more, making his sixth Festival appearance as he moves to the cross country sphere in the Glenfarclas Chase.
The 11-year-old has switched disciplines as De Bromhead and owner Barry Maloney look to extend his career, with an initial fourth over the banks course in December raising hopes of a bold Festival showing and a possible subsequent Randox Grand National bid.
The trainer said: “He loved it. We felt we had to go and just give him a taste of it – it’s going to be tough to go there on your first go otherwise. Rachael said he really enjoyed it and obviously he had top weight, but we couldn’t have asked for a better run.
“He’s in good form, we kind of backed off him as he’d been busy enough for one of ours up until then, so we kind of backed off through Christmas, freshened him up and he’s in mighty form now.
“It’s lovely for a horse like him to sort of prolong his career a bit, it’s good fun and not too hard a race I don’t believe and it’s a different way of training. I think it’s great for him, he’s probably not going to compete in Grade Ones so it’s nice.”
Of an Aintree bid, De Bromhead added: “We will see what your handicapper thinks next week (when weights are announced), if we feel he’s giving him a chance, why not? It seems to be a really good route to the National, as Gordon (Elliott) has proved and others.”
Envoi Allen will defend the Ryanair Chase title he won last year and although he has not run since being caught on the line by Gerri Colombe in the Champion Chase at Down Royal back in November, De Bromhead does not see that as a negative.
He said: “I hope (it will be an advantage). That was our plan. He’s had the same number of runs as last year I think but it was just a bit earlier this year, his last run was in November and last year it was the King George, but he’s really well now and that was our plan. He runs well fresh.”
Captain Guinness finished second in last year’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and he will be back for more in the two-mile heat after finishing third to hot favourite El Fabiolo last time on what was something of a fact-finding mission following a previous issue over Christmas.
De Bromhead explained: “He had this atrial fibrillation at Christmas which was really disappointing and he had as a novice. All the tests were done on him, the IHRB did all the tests and he seemed fine, everyone was happy.
“I’d say we rode him the last day just to see where we were and I’d say he lacked a little bit of confidence as well, so it was lovely to see him finish out his race well.
“It’s always in the back of your mind, the fact that it’s happened again, but his run last year was savage so he could be there at a big price hopefully and pick up the pieces from the big guys if anything goes wrong.”
The My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase picture became a little more murky following Marine Nationale’s Leopardstown defeat earlier this month and De Bromhead is happy to roll the dice with Quilixios after he bounced back to form dropped to two miles last time.
He said: “We stepped him up to three (miles) and he never showed up at all.
“He was really good in Naas and I was delighted with him. He jumps really quick and I would say the faster they go, the better for him.”
Telemesomethinggirl was brought down when still travelling well in the 2022 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle and she will tackle that test again, with Slade Steel and Monty’s Star the leading youngsters for the team.
Grade Two winner Slade Steel came home a seven-length second to Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival, with the six-year-old shorter in the betting for the two-mile-five-furlong Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle than the two-mile Sky Bet Supreme, although Ballyburn’s destination may inform connections’ thinking.
De Bromhead said: “We had two sort of slogs, certainly the one in Navan looked a bit of a slog, so I didn’t want to go again over two and a half (miles) on heavy ground, so it was nice to run him over two and I thought he acquitted himself well.
“The winner looked good but we will improve for better ground ourselves. I think our options are open, we probably don’t particularly want to take on the winner again so we’ll see.”
Monty’s Star, who sports the Minella Indo colours, has won one of his two starts over fences as he heads into the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
De Bromhead said: “I’m delighted with him and always hoped this would be what he was doing. He’s a big horse and never showed up last year.
“He had a lovely run first time, I thought he was very good the second day and we said we’d go fresh. I don’t think he will mind nicer ground.”
iPrint joins forces with SVREL as Billboard Advertising Partner for Mouttet Mile 2024
iPrint is the latest corporate entity to signal its support for 2024 Mouttet Mile by coming onboard as the official billboard advertising partner for the event.
The partnership will see iPrint amplifying the event’s visibility with a series of impactful promotional displays on its traditional and electronic billboards across Kingston and St. Catherine.
“We’re proud to welcome iPrint on board as our advertising partner for the Mouttet Mile. Their expertise in outdoor advertising brings significant visibility and will help to raise public awareness and excitement for the event. We know their placements will reach thousands of potential attendees and will increase the anticipation and excitement for Jamaica’s premier racing event across key areas in Kingston and St. Catherine,” Aswanda Stoddart, SVREL AVP Administration, said.
iPrint’s involvement demonstrates its commitment to supporting Jamaica’s vibrant sports and entertainment scene and aligns with the company’s dedication to innovative advertising solutions that engage the community and bring high-profile events to the forefront.
“The efforts of SVREL in organizing and delivering this exceptional event, which not only elevates the profile of sports in Jamaica but also garners global attention through live broadcasts, are truly commendable,” said Mark Haddad, Sales Director at iprint Group of Companies.
“Supporting the Mouttet Mile aligns perfectly with the vision of enhancing and showcasing Brand Jamaica on the world stage. By collaborating with this diverse and prestigious event, we have a unique opportunity to amplify Jamaica’s cultural and sporting legacy. It is only fitting that we pledge our continued support to ensure the sustained success of the Mouttet Mile for many years to come, further solidifying Jamaica’s reputation as a hub of excellence and innovation,” he added.
SVREL and iPrint look forward to a successful collaboration that brings even more excitement to this year’s Mouttet Mile set for December 7 at Caymanas Park.
SVREL chairman calls for urgent reforms in stewarding after Heroes’ Day disruption at Caymanas Park
Following an internal investigation by Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), significant gaps in training have been identified, leading to stewarding practices at Caymanas Park falling short of international standards. As a result, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe has called for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to address these issues and ensure the future integrity of horse racing in Jamaica.
The investigation was prompted after the Heroes’ Day race meet at Caymanas Park was abandoned on Monday, October 21, 2024. A group of punters reacted violently to the stewards’ decision in Race 2, leading to the event’s cancellation for safety reasons. Sharpe stressed that the current state of officiating is not up to par for a racing jurisdiction aspiring to world-class status.
“Our internal investigation has identified significant training gaps that have resulted in local stewarding practices falling short of international standards,” Sharpe said. He explained that while SVREL provides the facilities for racing, the stewards' oversight falls under the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), a government-appointed body. Sharpe believes this disparity between local and international standards must be addressed immediately.
In his statement, Sharpe emphasized that improving stewarding standards is critical for the growth of horse racing in Jamaica. He called for the implementation of mandatory certification programs for stewards, ensuring that they are properly trained to handle the complexities of modern racing. He also advocated for regular assessments and retraining of officials to maintain a high level of competence and consistency in their decision-making.
Sharpe further stressed the need for clear accountability frameworks to be established, so that all decisions made by stewards are transparent and based on consistent, well-defined criteria. This, he believes, would help avoid situations like the one on Heroes’ Day, where the lack of clarity led to confusion and frustration among punters. Moreover, Sharpe called for the introduction of an independent appeals mechanism that would allow for the review of stewarding decisions, ensuring fairness and trust in the system.
Sharpe explained that these reforms are essential to creating a level playing field and restoring confidence in the integrity of horse racing at Caymanas Park. He expressed frustration that despite previous discussions with the JRC about the need for improved officiating, little progress has been made.
The incident on Heroes’ Day, which caused significant financial losses estimated at over JMD$70 million, underscored the importance of addressing these issues urgently. While Sharpe acknowledged the passion of racing fans, he firmly condemned the violent behaviour that followed the stewards' decision, stating that it endangered lives and tarnished the reputation of the sport. "While we value our patrons' enthusiasm, any expression of discontent must remain within acceptable bounds of sporting behaviour,” he asserted.
Sharpe also expressed disappointment with the lack of response from industry stakeholders following the incident. He pointed out that many who are typically vocal about SVREL’s operations have remained silent on this serious breach of sporting conduct. He called on all stakeholders to take equal responsibility for the sport’s integrity and to advocate for improvements in officiating and the overall management of races.
“The growth and sustainability of horse racing in Jamaica require more than just infrastructure investment and promotional efforts,” Sharpe said. “It demands the consistent application of international best practices across all aspects of racing.”
SVREL remains committed to modernizing Caymanas Park and advancing Jamaican horse racing. However, Sharpe made it clear that this vision can only be achieved through collective responsibility, with all stakeholders playing an active role in improving the industry’s standards and holding each other accountable.
“The time has come for all stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to the industry's growth not merely through words, but through actions, consistent engagement, and a willingness to address difficult issues head-on,” Sharpe concluded.
SVREL apologizes for disruption and cancellation of Heroes' Day Race Meet at Caymanas Park
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has issued an apology to its customers and stakeholders following the cancellation of Monday’s Heroes' Day race meet at Caymanas Park. The cancellation came after a series of disruptions stemming from the disqualification of the first-place finisher in Race 2, which caused unrest among some punters at the track.
In a statement, SVREL explained the incident: "On Monday, October 21, 2024, a series of unfortunate events led to the disruption and subsequent cancellation of races at Caymanas Park by the Jamaica Racing Commission Stewards."
The unrest began when the stewards' decision in Race 2 led to the disqualification of the initial winner. Displeased with the result, some punters expressed their dissatisfaction by throwing debris, creating an unsafe environment for patrons, participants, and horses.
"After the announcement of the race results, some punters became agitated and expressed their dissatisfaction in a manner that compromised the safety and security of all present. This included the throwing of debris across the Park, creating an unsafe environment for patrons, participants, and horses alike," the statement continued.
As the situation grew more volatile, trainers began voicing concerns for their safety, leading to the cancellation of subsequent races.
"In light of this development and prioritizing the safety of the horses, horsemen, punters, and all attendees, the stewards made the decision to abandon race 4 and subsequently, the entire race meet for the day," SVREL said.
The company further emphasized that security personnel, supported by the police, were working to manage the situation and prevent any further escalation.
SVREL concluded by offering a formal apology for the inconvenience caused: "Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited, the operator of Caymanas Park, extends our sincerest apologies to our valued customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused by the abandonment of the race meet."
The company reiterated its commitment to the safety of all involved in the sport, while promising to address the issues that led to the disruption.
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