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As the 2026 Guyana Cup horse-racing meet approaches, last year’s “Stable of the Year”, J’s Racing Stable are at the top of the owners’ points table.
August 23 is the date set for the iconic running of the 18th Guyana Cup, and all the top stables will be vying for the crown. After five race events this year, J’s Racing Stable recorded seven wins, 10 second places and eight third spots from 45 starts.
Jumbo Jet Racing Stables and Master Z have been equally impressive with only 26 starts and 10 wins. The decorated stable also recorded six second spots this year.
Big G Racing Stables has four wins in 12 starts while Elcock Stables have three wins in five starts. In Jagdeo Racing Stables’ 10 starts they have one win, one second place, and two third spots.

Slingerz Racing Stables has one second place and four third spots in seven starts this year.
The sweetest victory for every horse owner will only be the Guyana Cup crown, and with it just a month away, the stables will be intensifying preparations.
A total of 14 races will be held at this year’s Guyana Cup and more than $66 million in cash and prizes will be paid out.
The feature race, which will be the Banks Guyana Cup, will fetch a total purse of $22 million.

The races for Guyana Cup 2026 are:
Banks Guyana Cup (One Mile) – Total purse $22,500,000
Peter Lewis Guyana Cup Sprint (5 ½ Furlong) – Total purse $7,500,000
Forrester’s Imported Derby (One Mile) – Total purse G$7,500,000
Mohamed’s Excavating Sir Balaji Derby (One Mile) – Total purse $5,625,000
J’s Imported Juvenile Fillies Sprint (5 ½ Furlong) – Total purse $3,750,000
BM Soat Locally Bred Dash (5 ½ Furlong) – Total purse $2,812,500
P Jagdeo E-Class (One Mile) – Total purse $2,812,500
Jagmohan F-Class (One Mile) – Total purse $1,875,000
ARONCO H-Class (One Mile) – Total purse $1,875,000
CI H3 N.W.3 (One Mile) – Total purse $1,875,000
Avinash Local Maidens (One Mile) – Total purse $2,812,500
Big G’s J-Class (One Mile) – Total purse $1,875,000
Garen Pro K-Class (One Mile) – Total purse $1,875,000
Sawh L Class Sprint (One Mile) – Total purse $1,875,000

The post J’s Racing Stable, Jumbo Jet/Master Z stables in close corner ahead of Guyana Cup appeared first on Guyana Times.

The Guyana Government has flown over 30 persons from across Region One (Barima-Waini), who had relatives on board MV Barima when it sank on Saturday night, down to the Essequibo Coast, where bodies recovered are being sent for processing and identification. Based on revised figures, the ferry vessel, which departed Port Georgetown on Saturday afternoon en route of Port Kaituma in the North-West District, had some 179 persons on board including 18 crew members. So far, 69 persons have been rescued and 27 bodies were recovered while approximately 83 persons including children are listed as missing. On Monday morning, President Dr Irfaan Ali travelled to the Region One townships of Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, where he met with persons who were rescued as well as relatives of those still missing. He also visited survivors who are receiving medical care at the Mabaruma Hospital. During these engagements with the Head of State, the grieving family members and relatives requested assistance from the Government to travel to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) where a site has been set up at the Charity Waterfront to store the bodies recovered from offshore.
President Ali has committed to helping the bereaved relatives and arrangements were made to fly them down to the Essequibo Coast, where their accommodation and on-the-ground transportation were facility by the State. “We have since provided aircraft to move the 13 [family members] from Port Kaituma to Region Two…and then they will be housed in Essequibo, and they will be transported and they will be utilised in the effort to identify bodies recovered. Likewise…22 persons from Mabaruma are being moved…for the similar reasons,” Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips disclosed during a press briefing on Monday evening.

The PM, who is leading the Government’s emergency response to this horrific maritime tragedy, reported that while 27 bodies were recovered between Sunday and Monday, the search and rescue operation remains active and they believe there could still be more survivors out there. “We still have hope people out there are alive… I’m advised…that with a ship like that, there are pockets of air, right. And wherever people are located, you may very well have people alive there,” Phillips stated. He added, “Our focus…is on finding people, finding them alive. Unfortunately, we did find some people who have passed on…and in that case, efforts to recover their bodies and have them positively identified and working with their families and their communities to bring closure.” Of the 27 bodies recovered since Saturday night’s tragedy, four are children. At the time of the press briefing, the PM indicated that six male adults and four female adults had been identified while the remaining bodies were still being processed. While President Ali has assisted these families from Region One to travel to Essequibo, the Government is looking to ease the burden of grieving families and has put systems in place for them to identify missing relatives without having to travel to region two.

Emergency family assistance centres
Following the ferry incident, the Government on Sunday established Emergency Family Assistance Centres at the Umana Yana in Kingstown, Georgetown; at the Port Kaituma Community Centre, and at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Extension Centre in Kumaka sub-district, Mabaruma.
At the centres, officials are there to assist family members seeking information about their unaccounted relatives and offer varying type of support necessary. But PM Phillips told reports that as part of the processing of the bodies recovered, photographs would be taken and posted up outside of these three help-centres as well as the Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coast for persons to possibility identify missing relatives who were on board the vessel. “Families will be allowed to go to those locations and see the photographs. So, what that means is that whenever a family comes, we don’t have to open a body bag or go into the fridge or wherever it is stored because they have the photographs there for easy identification. So far, that has worked,” the PM noted. He added too that the hotline number that was set up has been a good source for receiving information about the missing persons. “I want to commend all the family members and all the people out there for working with us during this difficult time because all of us will want to bring closure and assist the families in having closure and bodies are recovered,” Phillips noted. Meanwhile, after leaving Region One on Monday, President Ali travelled to the Essequibo Coast, where he engaged survivors there as well as the source of family members that are eagerly awaiting news of their loved ones who still unaccounted for. In fact, on Monday evening, the Guyanese Leader joined persons at the Charity Waterfront, as they await the difficult process of identifying their loved ones.

Retrieve additional bodies
Throughout the night, additionally bodies that were recovered in the rough Atlantic waters were brought onshore. Up to press time, Guyana Times was unable to confirm the exact number of bodies found, a part from the 27 reported earlier at the press briefing. Divers, both local as well as those from the French Guiana army, had been mobilised to the location where MV Barima sank some nine miles off the shore of Devonshire Castle, Essequibo Coast. This newspaper was told that the divers went down to the seabed where the sunken vessel is and were able to retrieve additional bodies. Meanwhile, of those 27 bodies found earlier on Monday, this publication was able to confirm the identified of several. These include: two-year-old Kelly Williams; Dwayne Forbes; Marcia Beharry; Oxwell John; Shivana LaCruz Romascino; Trevon Sam, and Shamera Smith.
Meanwhile, in Georgetown, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo and a team of Cabinet Ministers engaged Amerindian leaders from communities affected by the MV Barima tragedy. These officials had travelled to Georgetown for the annual National Toshaos Conference (NTC), which was scheduled to start on Monday but the opening was postponed to today. During the engagement, VP Jagdeo heard from community representatives and discussed the impact of the tragedy, while offering all possible resources to assisting them. Moreover, the Guyana Government through the Human Services and Social Security Ministry is also lending critical psychosocial support to the survivors and also family members of those missing persons, with professionals deployed to all three help centres as well as the Essequibo Coast to engage survivors and bereaved family members.

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A batch of Guyanese athletes and officials have departed the “Land of Many Waters” for Glasgow, Scotland, where they will fly the Golden Arrowhead at the XXIII Commonwealth Games.
The multi-sport event that will feature 10 disciplines and six para-sports will get underway on Thursday, July 23 before concluding on Sunday, August 2.
On Monday, a contingent of locally-based athletes and officials began their journey to Glasgow as they prepare to compete among some 3000 athletes expected at the Games.
Among the travelling contingent were swimming’s Aleka Persaud, 3×3 basketball’s Travis Belgrave alongside the entire boxing team which comprise Akeelah Vancooten, Keevin Allicock, Shakquain James, and Emmanuel Pompey.
Meanwhile, Boxing Coach Lennox Daniels, Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) Vice President Rawle Toney and physiotherapist Vanessa Wickham were also among the travelling Guyanese contingent.

The post 1st batch of athletes off to Commonwealth Games appeared first on Guyana Times.

…sunken vessel located; divers, including French
troops, on site to continue search

…as Govt sends home entire T&HD team that loaded vessel

Following Saturday night’s capsizing of MV Barima off the Essequibo Coast, authorities have since recovered 27 bodies, including those of four children, while some 83 persons are still missing and the number of survivors was revised to 69. These revelations were made by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, who is leading the Government emergency response mission, during a press briefing on Monday evening. According to the PM, “At this stage of the operations, the number of rescued persons, including passengers and crew, is now 69, and a total of 27 bodies have been recovered as of now. The latest report suggests an additional 83 persons are still to be found.” This revised figure of 179 persons on board the vessel comes after authorities discovered on Sunday that nearly half of the persons rescued that day were not listed on the passenger manifest generated by the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD). Initially, it was reported that there were 116 passengers, along with 17 crew members and some 268 tonnes of cargo, on board the vessel when it departed Port Georgetown on Saturday afternoon, heading for Port Kaituma in the North-West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini). But the manifest was found to be grossly inaccurate after only 35 of the reported 67 persons who were rescued from the sunken vessel on Sunday were listed on the document.

Revised figures
This discovery led to the launch of a comprehensive investigation, which included efforts to determine an accurate count of the persons on board the sunken vessel.
“We’ve put together an investigative body, and they would have worked overnight [on Sunday]. And coming out of the work that they did overnight in terms of reviewing the footage as the boat was loading with the passengers and cargo, we arrive at a figure of 179 [persons on board including the crew],” the PM noted.
In fact, he added that it is unlikely that there would be a major change to this 179 – a figure that also included a revised survivor list of 69, that is, two more than the previous day. Phillips explained that the additional two persons are crew members, who were assisting with the search operation after being rescued, and were inadvertently left off the initial list of survivors. In addition to discrepancies with the passenger manifest, authorities had also discovered on Sunday that the captain of the vessel, along with at least two crew members – the first engineer and a sailor – who were rescued, tested positive for cannabis. They were arrested and up to press time on Monday, they remained in Police custody. PM Phillips said during the press briefing that the ongoing investigation would determine what, if any, charges are laid against these three men.

Team sent off
Both the PM and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had previously assured that those found responsible for this incident would be held accountable.

In fact, the entire management team responsible for the loading, dispatch, and overall management of the MV Barima prior to its departure from Georgetown has been sent off from duty. On Sunday evening, Minister Edghill had convened a late-night meeting with the senior management staff of the T&HD, which manages ferry operations in Guyana. During that engagement, the team that was on duty for Saturday’s loading of the ferry was formally notified of the suspension and the administrative steps moving forward. According to the Public Works Ministry, this decision was taken to ensure the absolute integrity of the upcoming investigation into the horrific ferry incident that has left dozens of persons, including children missing, and feared dead.

“By removing the team from the workplace, the Government intends to prevent any potential tampering with or interference in evidence and materials, thereby ensuring a completely fair and unprejudiced outcome,” the Ministry stated on Monday. Additionally, video footage from the Kingston Goods Wharf, where MV Barima was loaded and departed from, has already been extracted by the Guyana Police Force for a comprehensive review as part of the ongoing investigation.

Bodies recovered
Meanwhile, of the 27 bodies recovered since Saturday night’s tragedy, four are those of children. At the time of the press briefing, PM Phillips said the bodies of six male adults and four female adults had been identified, and the remaining bodies were still being processed. “The bodies are being photographed. They’re stored and we’re going through the whole identification process. By our next briefing, we’ll be able to let you know a number as to how many have been identified and the families informed. There are bodies that were identified and already families are informed, but I will give you that figure the next briefing,” the PM told this newspaper on Monday evening.
The bodies recovered are being taken to Charity, where a designated area has been set up for family members to go identify them.

MV Barima located
Nevertheless, Phillips contended that the search and rescue operations is still ongoing with continued support from stakeholders, including the private sector and local fisherfolk. In fact, it was Haresh Singh, a fisherman from the Essequibo Coast – who, along with others, had been critical to this search and rescue exercise since the distress call was received from the vessel – who discovered the location of the sunken ferry on Monday. Singh, who had rescued a number of survivors on Sunday, returned to the location on Monday and observed items suspected to be from the capsized vessel floating on the water’s surface. He subsequently alerted the authorities and the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard, accompanied by a vessel supplied by ExxonMobil Guyana and the Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc (VEHSI), Sealand Survey’s Gilligan Island, confirmed the presence of the ferry.
According to the PM, the vessel was found resting on the seabed about nine miles off the shore of Devonshire Castle, Essequibo Coast – in the vicinity of the location where the MV Barima had initially sent out a distress signal on Saturday just before midnight. Phillips noted that experts from the Maritime Administration (MARAD) have indicated that with a ship like the MV Barima, there could be pockets of air and possibly persons trapped alive. “You may very well have people alive there… There’s always an opportunity, always a chance of saving a few lives. And that’s why we insist that this remains a search and rescue operation,” the PM emphasised.

Regional assistance
Since the discovery of the vessel, assets, including divers, have been mobilised at the location. In fact, Guyana has received critical support from regional neighbours including from French Guiana, which has sent a 15-member military team to assist with ongoing search, rescue and recovery operations. The French troops, led by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Touboul, arrived on the Essequibo Coast on Monday and includes 12 specialist divers, two medics, and one mechanic. PM Phillips told reporters that the French divers have joined the local team offshore and were assessing conditions to determine whether to go under water overnight or await daylight today. The divers eventually decided to dive overnight and have been bringing up bodies. In addition, the Trinidad and Tobago Government has also deployed additional search and dive capabilities to Guyana to assist with these efforts.

The post MV Barima tragedy-27 bodies recovered, 83 persons still missing, 69 rescued appeared first on Guyana Times.

GAC has announced its partnership with the Global Super League (GSL) as the Official Automotive Partner for the tournament’s third season, further strengthening the brand’s growing presence across the Caribbean and its commitment to supporting world-class sporting events.
The GSL has quickly established itself as one of the Region’s premier cricket tournaments, bringing together champion franchises from around the world to compete in Guyana.
Sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI), the tournament showcases elite talent while delivering exciting entertainment to cricket fans across the Caribbean and beyond.
As the Official Automotive Partner, GAC will enjoy exclusive automotive category rights throughout the competition, with prominent brand visibility across the tournament’s broadcast, digital, and in-stadium platforms.

Fans can also expect to see GAC vehicles showcased at the venue, highlighting the brand’s innovative design, advanced technology, and growing model line-up.
The partnership will be spearheaded by HSM Motors, the official GAC dealer in Guyana, with support from Motorworld, GAC’s regional distributor for the Caribbean.
Together, they will leverage the GSL platform to further strengthen GAC’s connection with communities through sport, culture, and shared experiences. As one of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing automotive brands, GAC continues to expand its regional presence while championing initiatives that bring people together.
Welcoming the partnership, Sir Clive Lloyd, GSL Chairman, shared, “We are delighted to welcome GAC as the Official Automotive Partner of the Global Super League. GAC has demonstrated tremendous growth throughout the Caribbean and shares our commitment to excellence, innovation, and community engagement. We look forward to working together to elevate the fan experience and continue building the Global Super League into a world-class sporting event.”
Motorworld Chairman Tariq Amjad added, “The Global Super League has rapidly become one of the most exciting sporting events in the Region, attracting world-class talent and passionate cricket fans from around the globe. We are proud to partner with the tournament and introduce GAC to Guyana, the 22nd market in the Caribbean, through such a prestigious platform.
“GAC brings world-class engineering and manufacturing expertise, strengthened by more than two decades of producing vehicles through its joint ventures with Toyota and Honda in China. Renowned for its quality, reliability, and innovation, we are excited for the people of Guyana to discover the brand that has been making waves across the Caribbean.”
On the other hand, HSM Motors Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mikhail Hosein expressed, “This partnership marks an exciting opportunity to introduce GAC to Guyanese consumers and showcase not only our award-winning vehicles, but also the confidence and peace of mind that come with purchasing through Guyana’s official GAC dealer, HSM Motors. Customers will benefit from the country’s best bumper-to-bumper warranty of 8 years or 160,000 km, genuine GAC parts, factory-trained technicians, and exceptional aftersales support. As we officially launch GAC in Guyana, our commitment extends far beyond selling vehicles. We are dedicated to delivering an ownership experience that reflects the quality, innovation, and reliability engineered into every GAC.”
The 2026 Global Super League will once again bring together champion teams from multiple cricketing nations in Guyana, providing a global stage for elite competition and unforgettable moments for fans. (GSLT20)

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