Rafael flooding leaves SVREL looking for Caymanas solutions

SUPREME VENTURES Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), on Tuesday said the entity was looking into drainage solutions it could combine with the government after sections of Caymanas Park were flooded.

According to SVREL, sections of Caymanas Park experienced flooding resulting from the sustained rains brought on by Tropical Storm Rafael.

The organisation, in charge of horse racing at Caymanas Park, said “precautionary measures to mitigate potential damage, including cutting of vegetation and cleaning the drainage system around the Park” were done prior to Rafael’s passage but while helpful, there were still issues.

“These efforts helped to curtail the flooding to some degree, but unfortunately a few stables were still impacted due to the overwhelming volume of rain that exceeded the capacity of the drainage infrastructure,” read a statement from the organisation.

In its statement, SVREL went on to note that “increased rainfall and unpredictable weather patterns have become a growing challenge, not just for Caymanas Park, but for racing facilities globally.”

The organisation went on to point out that earlier this year, Gulfstream Park in Florida and Belmont Park in New York also suffered from flooding on account of abnormal weather conditions, resulting in the cancellation of racedays.

Caymanas Park is still scheduled to have Saturday racing.

In a bid to ensure that similar occurrences are brought to a minimum at Caymanas Park, SVREL’s release said the organisation would be seeking an audience with the Portmore Municipality in a bid to find solutions.

“We will therefore be working closely with the Portmore Municipality and other key stakeholders to assess the existing design of drains surrounding Caymanas Park and identify solutions to better handle the increased water flow during extreme weather events,” read the release.

SVREL said it was providing support to the affected stables to help them resume normal operations as quickly as possible.

“SVREL remains committed to working with all our stakeholders to safeguard the well-being of the horses and the livelihoods of everyone who depend on this industry,” read the release.