At Caymanas Park on big race days when the tannoy bugle blows - the ‘call to post’, horses and riders then have 10 minutes before a race. Amid the febrile atmosphere, and a cacophony of sound, the tropical heat seems to rise in the stadium while jockeys names are shouted out by punters. Situated on the south side of the island, temperatures are mercilessly hot and humid and often in the high 90s at the track. As it is close to the capital Kingston, Caymanas Park attracts large crowds from the city and the rest of the Island- especially on big event days such as the Derby Day races, watched with reverence by punters and spectators with something akin to a religious experience. Flexi-bets with exotic sounding names roll off the tongues of punters in the betting halls: The Trifectas, Quadrellas, or the Rolling-Triples, offering up tempting choices with the promise of a big payout for small outlay.
The jockeys are weighed both before and after the race and to ensure fairness, some lead weights may be added to the saddle if they are deemed too light. So with a more evenly contested race, this helps to produce the drama, thrills and shock wins that punters thrive on at the park. On race days the competition and rivalry between jockeys can get so intense that it can lead to bans and fines for offences such as ‘intimidation and interference caused to scar’ and ‘ungentlemanly conduct’.
‘Hero’ portraits of the trainers and jockeys adorn the betting halls. In the long history of Caymanas Park, one jockey stands the tallest, having won the jockeys’ title six times. This particular honour belongs to the legendary Omar Walker. It was, however, not just the racing and the jockeys that attracted me, but the off-track activity. Caymanas is jam-packed with characters: punters, grooms, trainers and the stall handlers, all of whom are essential to any race day.
