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$3m Wisynco 'Boom' for St Leger

Published:Wednesday | June 29, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Joffia Johnson-Bell (second left), marketing executive (beverages) of the Wisynco Group, and Halcott Holness (centre), director of sales, jointly hand over the Lonsdale Challenge Cup to Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) chief executive officer Camile Buchanan (second right), as Ruth-Ann Smith-Sutherland (left), general manager of the Jamaica Racing Commission, and CTL's deputy chairman Raphael Gordon (right) look on. Occasion was yesterday's launch of the Boom Energy Drink St Leger at the Wyndham Kingston hotel. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Orville Clarke, Gleaner Writer

The 85th running of the season's final Classic, the Jamaica St Leger, to be run over 2000 metres at Caymanas Park on Saturday, will have a new sponsor in the Wisynco Group.

It will now be known as the Boom Energy Drink Jamaica St Leger, with a purse of $3.9 million, inclusive of $1 million from the Wisynco Group.

Plans for the 'Boombastic' raceday were outlined by representatives of the Wisynco Group and promoter, Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) at yesterday's launch at the Wyndham hotel, New Kingston.

Halcott Holness, director of sales for Wisynco Group, said his company has donated $3 million to the race day, and the commitment is for the next three years, with an increased contribution in year two.

According to Holness, one of the highlights of the meet will be an historic all-female riders race, to be contested by seven visiting riders, in addition to Jamaica's Georgina Sergeon, over 1200 metres.

The race offers a total purse of $815,000 and is confined to three-year-olds, non-winners of two.

The overseas riders confirmed so far are Melanie Pinto, who plies her trade at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks in Canada; Kaymarie Kreidel-Aguire from Laurel Park in the United States; Patricia Josephine Lydon, who rides at Calder in Florida; Greta Kuntzweiler from Churchill Downs in Kentucky; and Francein Villeneuve from Canada.

Holness said the partnership is another milestone in Wisynco's involvement with the sport, having been title sponsor of the Bigga Jamaica Oaks, confined to fillies, for the last five years.

"It promises to be a day none of us will forget," said Holness. "We will deliver excitement galore, as this is our way of giving back."

CTL's acting racing secretary, Kingsley Gentles, provided raceday details, as well as the company's chief executive officer Camile Buchanan; deputy chairman Raphael Gordon and Jamaica Racing Commission chairman Rudolph Muir.

Gentles noted that the St Leger field (15 nominated) will be headed by TECHNOMOTO, recent runaway winner of the Cal's Jamaica Derby, and will include Derby runner-up JET SETTER, 2000 Guineas winner BIG MAN BOYU, 1000 Guineas winner NIPHAL, Oaks heroine CARIDAD, Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup) winner ERASMO, SWEET TRAIL, AWESOME WILDCAT, SUPER CAT, COLD GROUND and last, but not least, new kid on the block, COMMANDING CHIEF, who is unbeaten in two starts.

A clever, new TV ad - 'Wanna-be female jockeys' - was unveiled at the launch, this featuring leading trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes (TECHNOMOTO) and Everal Francis (COMMANDING CHIEF), leading jockeys Shane Ellis and Dick Cardenas and wannabe women jockeys.

CTL will host a cocktail reception for the female jockeys at the Wyndham on Friday evening.