The 2024 staging of the highly anticipated Mouttet Mile Invitational is already shaping up to be an exciting affair with early interest from 6 prominent overseas-based horses.
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, operators of Caymanas Park, are pleased to announce that Sheer Delight, Pack Plays, Barnaby, Legacy Isle, Commandant & Real Macho are set to bring international competition to the December 7 race day.
Sheer Delight, a three-year-old colt owned by Jeremy Rachpaul, has already made a name for himself with impressive earnings of over USD 30,000. Trained by Donovan Hutchison, Sheer Delight has recently arrived in Jamaica and is gearing up for the big race. Mr. Rachpaul expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm: "It is with excitement and joy that our team has a chance to enter the Mouttet Mile 2024 with Sheer Delight. On behalf of myself, my family, and our team, I would like to say thank you to Caymanas and the horse racing family in Jamaica. We look forward to growing our stable, racing in Jamaica, and competing in the Mouttet Mile 2024 with God's grace and blessings."
Another strong contender for the 2024 Mouttet Mile is Pack Play, owned by Diley Dakins. Dakins shared his insights on Pack Plays' capabilities, "Pack Plays has been preparing for the Mouttet Mile for a while and has shown tremendous speed and agility in most of his races. I know he will get the distance. Pack Plays will undoubtedly make the Mouttet Mile competition more interesting." Pack Play is currently being conditioned by trainer, Rowan Mathie.
Trainer of the 2023 winner – Rough Entry – Rohan Crichton, has returned for the 2024 staging with 3 entries: Legacy Isle, Commandant and Real Macho. For the current year, Commandant has had 3 wins with earnings of US$88,060, Legacy Isle has had 1 win, eaning US$47,480; and Real Macho has secured 2 wins with an earning total of US$124,020.
“Our horses are scheduled to arrive in Jamaica on September 18. The plan is to follow the same pattern as Rough Entry, ease them into their training regimen after quarantine and gradually build from there. The Mouttet Mile is an amazing event that showcases Jamaican racing, we are proud to participate and doing our best to make it two in a row.”
Local champion trainer, Anthony Nunes, has also opted to submit an international entry in runner – Barnaby. He shares: “Barnaby is a 3-year-old bay colt. He's a son of Tapiture out of the Giants Causeway mare, Giants Diva. He has a racing record of 3 wins and 2 thirds from 6 starts, and earnings of (US)$89,510.00 or (JMD)$14,000,000.00. BARNABY arrived in Jamaica on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, and will be in quarantine for 2 weeks. We look forward to having him in our barn, at which time he will start the process of getting acclimatised to his new surroundings. We look forward, shortly thereafter, to getting him on the track in preparation for the Mouttet Mile in December.”
Commenting on the early interest, Christopher Wills, VP Operations at SVREL, said, "We are excited to see the early enthusiasm and commitment from international owners and trainers for the 2024 Mouttet Mile. The inclusion of top-tier horses, from the North American circuit, enhances the prestige of the event and promises thrilling competition for all horse racing fans."
Since its 2022 debut, the Mouttet Mile Invitational has developed a reputation for attracting top-tier international talent. Last year’s Mouttet Mile was won by Rough Entry, an overseas entrant ridden by Canadian jockey Julien Leparoux. The inclusion of Sheer Delight and Pack Plays in the 2024 Mouttet Mile Invitational will further cement Caymanas Park’s marquee race day as the premier event in the horse racing calendar.