Caymanas Park has become a virtual fortress for the last two race days, following the August 24-25 weekend which saw trainer Tony Kirlew being killed in the stable area and the racetrack robbed of $7m in separate incidents on either day.

The stable area, in particular, which was stripped of its security detail earlier this year because of financial constraints, is now like a military zone with a fully staffed armoured car patrolling 24 hours per day.

A groom, commenting on the beefed-up security presence, told The STAR, "the place a run like Up Park Camp since the murder an robbery, an a long time wi did a warn dem, but dem neva hear".

Minister without portfolio in the finance ministry Horace Dalley toured Caymanas Park last week and mandated the management of the racetrack to increase its security presence following the weekend's incidents.

At entrance points to the racetrack, vehicles are being scoured by security personnel. The absence of identification cards, regardless of status, professional or otherwise, has resulted in personnel being denied entry.

During racing on Wednesday, police personnel, as well as heavily armed security staffers, were observed escorting cash from various points throughout the race day.

On August 24, the racetrack was operating on a skeleton security detail with no patrols in the stable area where Kirlew was shot twice, in the head and mouth, by two gunmen who approached him as he drank a coconut.

At the time of Kirlew's death, the nine-man security detail, two supervisors included, was busy manning gates and assigned to other posts mainly near the main buildings.

The following day, at approximately 8:30 Saturday night, two men held up two Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) employees at knife and gunpoint in the cash-processing room, before making off with $7m.

Two CTL employees were being grilled by detectives, but have been since released. The employees were detained by the St Catherine South Police on what the lawmen had described as "reasonable suspicion" of staging the robbery.