By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterMEMBERS OF the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Association (JROA) have warned that they may be forced to take strong action early next year if matters of concern to the racing industry in general and owners in particular are not addressed by the government.
This was the message coming out of an extra-ordinary general meeting of the JROA held at the Hotel Four Seasons on Sunday.
The 73 members present unanimously passed a resolution to support the measures decided upon, including, if necessary, not racing their horses for whatever period of time may be required to obtain the minimum required objectives.
A draft proposal, entitled 'A Plan of Action for Horseracing', was handed to each member. The draft contained five points:
The draft called for the identification of ways to increase all of racing's revenue flows, restoration of confidence in and protection of the integrity of the Racing Product, improvement in CTL's performance, the convening of a group of experts to agree on a horse import policy to supplement private importation, and the creation of a fully representative racing body to agree on a development plan for the 21st century.
A sub-committee of the JROA's executive comprising secretary Jeffrey Mordecai and directors Vin Lumsden and Bernard Vincent will review the document (with some amendments based on proposals at the meeting) for presentation to the other racing associations this week with a view of presenting the final document to the new State Minister of Finance, Fitz Jackson for action.
Mordecai likened the draft to a "form book". He said this would enable the Minister to know how the horse is running and how to back the horse. Trouble is, said Mordecai, the Minister would not back this horse as it was not performing.
In order to identify ways to increase all of racing's revenue flows, the draft said this can only be done by increasing CTL's sales at the track and the OTB's for local and simulcast racing. The draft also proposed increasing legal bookmakers sales for both local and foreign racing and reform revenue collections; reviewing the operations and allocations of the levy schemes and retaining a large portion of that money that now goes to other sports through the Ministry of Sports, as well as to demand government's consideration of the view that if they take a lesser percentage from the tote their return will be greater due to the projected increase in sales.
Other proposals in point one are to grant grooms, jockeys and owners a much needed purse increase in 2003, upgrade and improve the stable area and ensure the security of stalls, including the building of new stalls, including stalls designed for trainers who do not have large strings, secure the track and compound from unauthorised human and animal visitors and increase and improve the local racehorse population in the short medium and long term.
Point No. II proposed that the powers demand more vigilant and effective regulation by the JRC and the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission into matters of corruption, for example, jockeys with batteries and illegal bookmaking must be severely punished. Also the requirement that the unacceptably inconsistent performance of the raceday stewards be the subject of transparent review and reporting by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) rather than the regular overturning of their decisions on appeal, which infuriates punters.
In addition, there was a proposal to review and improve the Claiming System by adapting it to peculiarly Jamaican conditions to ensure competitive and profitable racing and also ensuring that CTL's raceday performance improves to eliminate or reduce stray animals on the racetrack, unprofessional actions by the starter, gate attendants, out-riders and ticket sellers.
Other proposals in the draft include having the government consider and implement the results of the long awaited management audit which, as stated in the draft, it is hoped will restructure the company and remove the waste and top heavy overlap.
They also called for a greater role on the CTL Board for "hands on" managers rather than directors who know very little of the actual operations of CTL and are not "horse friendly".
A call was also made to review and improve the drug testing procedures and introducing the legalisation of therapeutic medication up to permissible thresholds.
The owners also welcomed the appointment of Minister of State Fitz Jackson.
"We think that it is Minister Jackson himself that should institutionalise the structure and lead the process designed to agree and implement the much needed Development Plan", said JROA president, Laurence Heffes.
There were varied proposals from the floor coming from people such as Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association president Howard Hamilton, Trainers' Association president Lee Clarke, Patrick Fong, Kingsley Rose, George McPherson, Dr. Distir Misir and the most vocal of all, Vin Edwards who called on the government to release the Audit Report and also proposed a vote to bring back Chris Armond which was not taken.
Fong called for compensation to the owner of GO DAVIAN GO whose death at the starting gate on October 12, he said, was caused by negligence. Attorney-at-law Jeffrey Mordecai said he was willing to take up the case with CTL and would offer his services without cost to the owner to recover the claiming price, $230,000, for the horse.
