Bigger and Better Gold Cup

By Anmar Goodridge-Boyce

With the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup race-day returning to the Garrison Savannah this year for the first time since 2020, chief executive officer of the Barbados Turf Club Rosette Peirce says the premier horse racing event will be bigger and better.

Apart from having the region’s most prestigious sporting event aired on SportsMax, several other elements will be added to the cards, including a Gold Cup Village and a new betting initiative which could gift a lucky gamester more than $40, 000.

“There is a new offering this year and it is called the Gold Cup Village, which is an all-inclusive package located on the in-field. It is a nice spot, television viewing and elevated seating,” she said.

“We also have a big soca six pay-out in line on Gold Cup. We will select six races to put into a pool on the day and a punter has to place the bet before the first leg runs. So you pay to play the six winners, you have to get six winners in six races and if you are a single winner, your jackpot could be as much as $45,000 on minimum. That amount will grow because then you get the investment from Gold Cup day which is not yet in that number,” Peirce added.

The BTC head said on Friday, March 3, there will also be pre-Gold Cup activities as customary at the Garrison Savannah.

“We are excited and so happy to have the Gold Cup back. We are overwhelmed by the response and enthusiasm that we are seeing from the public and our stakeholders and to have new people involved in the sport is always a positive that we can grow from strength to strength in an environment which is not always easy to manage.

“Everything is going pretty well. We are just freshening up the plant and dealing with the track and making sure the turf is in good condition and ready for the year. It has been two years so there is still a lot to be done but we have a plan in place and we are doing pretty well. I think we will meet our target,” Peirce explained.

In terms of sales, Perice said the Gold Cup as usual is sold-out.

“The bookings were the easiest part. From the time we made the announcement, I think in October, that they would be a Gold Cup this year, the bookings were up immediately. By late November we were 95 per cent sold out. In terms of seating and bookings we had a lot of pre-payment. Right now all we have left is our general entry tickets, then we have the VIP premium which is an all-inclusive package. The reason we sold out so early is because of the overseas bookings, they were the first to be onboard and secure their seats,” Peirce explained.