The stage is set for another electrifying season at Caymanas Park as the 2025 horse racing calendar gets underway with the inaugural Grade 1 Ian Levy Cup on April 5. This much-anticipated event officially sets in motion the quest for a spot in the Caribbean’s richest horse race — the prestigious Mouttet Mile Invitational.
The Ian Levy Cup now stands as the latest addition to the “Win and You’re In” campaign, a high-stakes series that guarantees automatic entry into the Mouttet Mile for the victors. This development signals not only the growth of the series but also the continued elevation of Caymanas Park on the international racing stage.
Racing enthusiasts can look forward to a thrilling lineup of qualifying events throughout the year. The campaign will feature some of Jamaica’s most iconic races including the 12-furlong Jamaica Derby (August 6), the fan-favourite Philip Feanny OD Gold Cup at 7 furlongs (October 4), and a dynamic double-header on November 8 with the Jamaica Cup (9½ furlongs) and the Port Royal Sprint (6 furlongs).
Speaking on the expansion, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe highlighted the strategic significance of the series.
“The Ian Levy Cup sets the tone for what we anticipate to be a groundbreaking year in Jamaican horse racing,” Sharpe said. “Our goal is to keep raising the bar with every staging of the Mouttet Mile, and this extended ‘Win and You’re In’ format gives fans a season-long story to follow, while ensuring the best competitors make it to the gate in December.”
That gate will open on Saturday, December 6, 2025, for the fourth edition of the Mouttet Mile — a one-mile (1,600m) Grade One spectacle for top-tier local and international contenders aged three and up. The 2025 purse is set at an unprecedented US$300,000, reaffirming its status as the most lucrative race in the English-speaking Caribbean.
True to its evolving prestige, the Mouttet Mile will once again welcome a maximum of 16 runners — evenly split between local and international horses based on their domicile status as of January 1, 2025. In an ambitious international push, SVREL has also reserved one of the international slots for a competitor affiliated with the New York Racing Association (NYRA), marking a new level of global integration.
Sharpe continued, “The inclusion of a NYRA-based runner, combined with the record-breaking purse and a broader qualifying structure, points to our relentless pursuit of excellence. This year, more than ever, the Mouttet Mile promises to be a world-class showcase.”
Owners and trainers eyeing the Mouttet Mile must submit their letter of intent to the Racing Secretary by September 30, 2025. As global attention turns increasingly toward Jamaica’s racing scene, early interest is expected to surge.
The 2024 edition left fans breathless as Funcaandun, ridden by jockey Robert Halladeen and trained by Jason DaCosta, edged out the competition in a nail-biting finish — a testament to the drama and prestige the Mouttet Mile has quickly come to represent.
Now, with the Ian Levy Cup lighting the fuse on what’s shaping up to be the most explosive season yet, the road to the Mouttet Mile has never looked more exhilarating.
