Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) today celebrated its fifth anniversary.

The subsidiary of the lottery and gaming company, Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), took over the management of Caymanas Park in March 2017.

After the acquisition of the track, SVREL invested billions of dollars in the rebranding and revolutionising of Caymanas Park, making it one of the premiere horse racing tracks in the region.

Today’s milestone got an early commemoration through SVREL 5th Anniversary Race Day held on Saturday (March 5) at Caymanas Park.

The Anniversary Trophy race, which was Race 9, was won by Patriarch, ridden by jockey, Robert Halledeen. The purse for the race was $1.5 million.

SVREL said it hopes to continue playing its part in expanding the industry and cementing the track as an industry juggernaut.

Lorna Gooden, SVREL general manager, said the track’s success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff at Caymanas Park.

“I am proud to be a part of the Caymanas family as we celebrate our fifth anniversary. We have come such a long way since 2017. The growth that we have experienced in these five years has been phenomenal. Our success demonstrates the commitment and competence of our team and I am excited about our plans for the future,” Gooden said.

“We continue to raise the profile of the horse racing product and move the industry forward to a position of sustained profitability.”

Since its commencement of operations, SVREL says it has been committed to its vision of making Caymanas Park the mecca of horse racing in the Caribbean. The company undertook a number of upgrades and improvements to the product.

The first major moves by the track were the implementation of the AmTote totalizator system and the establishment of a partnership with Sportsmax Limited for upgraded production and HD quality distribution in 2018. That same year, SVREL also launched MBet, the company’s mobile betting platform.

In 2019, the company also implemented new technology to improve its betting services, including the launch of the new Caymanas Park website, caymanasracing.com, providing up-to-date racing information and live streaming of race days. The installation of state-of-the-art photo-finish system was also added along with a revision to the Exacta bet, providing increased payouts to punters. There was also a five per cent increase on the payouts for the Win & Place bets, to $52.50, and the re-introduction of UK & Irish racing.

Additionally, punters saw an increase in off track betting locations, pushing the number of locations islandwide to 120. Simulcast also saw an expansion, with more locations in North America and, recently, Canada, displaying Caymanas Park’s product.

For 2020, SVREL launched its digital stable management system: CPMS 1.0, which provides data for improved strategic decision making. The track also revised its bet types to bring further value to punters. The most noticeable changes are in the Reggae 6, Ketch 9, and Twilight 6.The Reggae 6 has made a total of 47 millionaires since its inception, proof that a small bet can result in big wins.

The track’s drive towards development and innovation continued into 2021. Last year, SVREL signed a historic fixed odds and sponsorship contract with BetMakers. The company also introduced the Breakfast Cup, which provides early morning race days. Punters also enjoyed live streaming on MBet, which allowed persons to  view both local and simulcast races on the app for the first time.

Moreover, Caymanas Park introduced new races and distances in 2021 – The Kingston & The Portmore which serve as final prep races in the Road to the Triple Crown series, The Winston ‘Fanna’ Griffiths Classic, the Port Royal Sprint, the St. Elizabeth Distaff, and the prestigious Jamaica Cup.

Caymanas Park is Jamaica’s only race track and is historically a sugarcane estate that was originally owned by the Ellis family, including George Ellis and Charles Ellis, 1st Baron Seaford. To date, the track has become an integral part of the country’s culture, transforming the lives of Jamaicans who are players in the horseracing industry.

Stakeholders are invaluable to the industry, and these milestones could not have been achieved without their hard work and input. SVREL remains committed to continue working with stakeholders to advance the sport in Jamaica.