A KING IS BORN -File photoCliff Williams
, Contributor
THE 2003 racing year in Jamaica has to be considered a memorable one, conspicuous for the fact that it has ended with the industry in what has to be considered a worse position than at the beginning when it started with the owners threatening to take action in demand for a purse increase.
An increase in purse did materialise and since then the owners have been largely silent as things have drifted from raceday to raceday with an air of uncertainty hanging like a dark cloud over the industry.
Apart from granting the purse increase the Government, the owner of the business side, has done very little to indicate in tangible terms what it really intends to do with the industry. Sure divestment has been promised but at the time of writing the terms and conditions for acquisition by private investors is yet to be promulgated. This however, may emerge before long since the end of December 2003 was the most recent date given for the Government to show its hand.
Speaking of the business side of things, right throughout the year there has been a rather acrimonious debate between Caymanas Track Ltd. (CTL) the only promoting company of live horse racing and the bookmaking industry over the opening hours allowable.
OPENING HOURS DILEMMA
For those who may not be aware, the bookmakers are not allowed to open for business after post time of the first live race at Caymanas. The promoting company is of the view that the bookmakers should not be in a position to compete with the CTL network of off track betting stations. This is a reasonable position given the fact it is CTL that provides the programmes, results and dividends off which the bookmakers operate.
On the other hand the bookmakers claim, quite justifiably, based on the available evidence that the unlicensed bet-takers operate without competition during live racing. With unrestricted hours of business the legal bookmakers would be enabled to address this problem and consequently provide more income for the promoting company as well as increased revenue for the Government.
Interestingly, the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) in 2003 did rule that restriction on opening hours was not compatible with the Fair Competition Act. Not surprisingly, the Government through its regulatory agency the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission has not yet found a way to comply with the recommendation of the FTC but I suppose it will in due course.
In 2003 the promoting company did an admirable job in terms of keeping the Sport of Kings visible and attracting new corporate sponsors whilst deepening the involvement those who are in for the long haul. The sponsored race cards were hugely successful and the concept of developing a corporate social atmosphere using the in-field tent facility gained considerable traction during the year.
Projected sales turnover by CTL fell below expectations as the company's racing office struggled to put together competitive racing programmes consistently against the background of a dwindling viable equine population. In fact, there are now less than 900 hundred horses available for racing, down from about nearly 1200 a decade or so ago. Recently, Racing Secretary Denzil Miller jnr. made the startling revelation that reopening of races to solicit more entries is now the rule rather than the exception.
JRC CELEBRATES 31 YEARS
During the month of December the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) celebrated 31 years of its existence with an impressive week of activities highlighting its achievements over the three decades. There can be no question that as the agency charged with the responsibility to protect the integrity of the racing product, the JRC has carried out the task in as competent and in as uncompromising a manner as one could hope for.
Truth be told, one would be hard-put to find another agency that has performed its mandate in as effective a manner as the JRC given the sensitivity and importance of the task of ensuring that public confidence in the racing product remains at a level where viability remains sustainable.
April 05, 2003 will go down in history as the day when the landmark decision of the JRC to allow the use of the controlled administration of raceday medication came into effect. The use of SALIX (lasix) in the managing of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (bleeding) has had a spectacular positive impact on the twenty-eight percent of the equine population that fifty-two percent of the trainers have allowed to be treated with the medication.
In fact the number of horses that bled through the medication is so negligible that it is hardly worth mentioning at all although it is virtually the all-important statistic. The problem of bleeding is really the scourge of the thoroughbred but the use of this appropriate medication in the local population has gone a long way in keeping the industry viable. The fact of the matter is that problems being encountered by the promoting company in terms of producing competitive racing would have been much worse without the landmark decision.
Given the fact that his predecessor, the late Ren Gonsalves, was almost vehemently opposed to use of any raceday medication, administered in controlled circumstances or not, current JRC chairman Rudolph Muir must take immense credit for the speedy and effective implementation of the revolutionary programme.
Still in fairness to Gonsalves, a former champion trainer himself, he probably thought the anti-doping mechanisms and testing facilities did not have the level of sophistication that would inspire confidence. In any event, Gonsalves was bred on the British tradition where anything other than the use clean water and oats, in the keep and care of a thoroughbred was viewed with the greatest of suspicion for a very long time so his reticence was more or less understandable.
Turning now to the racing itself, the main feature was the fact that the foals of 2001 had amongst them some of the most talented seen for many a season. A KING IS BORN, HERECOMESFUDGIE, and PITTACUS all won in the top class and there are a number of other three-year-olds doing extremely well in lesser but useful company. Curiously though, none of the fillies made any sort of impression at this level although one or two will eventually pay their way.
Former champion Philip Feanny, although failing to recapture the crown he won a record thirteen times had another brilliant year in the Classics. The Derby and 2000 Guineas went to A KING IS BORN in impressive enough fashion and the St. Leger to HERECOMESFUDGIE thus denying the dual Classic winner the Triple Crown series but the honour going to the Feanny stable nevertheless.
PITTACUS VICTORY
The most memorable performance on the track was the victory by PITTACUS in the Red Stripe Superstakes where he was superbly ridden by Shane Ellis. Trainer Anthony Nunes' patience and acumen in transforming the temperamental three-year old into a genuine top class competitor is worthy of special mention and is the training feat of the year in my view.
Also worthy of special commendation is Feanny's handling of HERECOMESFUDGIE, who looked quite ordinary at the outset of his 2003 season but won the Governors Cup, St. Leger, Prime Minister's Stakes and the Gold Cup.
Wayne DaCosta's defence of his trainer's title is a remarkable feat as it was achieved with the absence of real big race successes with the 1000 Guineas and precious few others being the exception. It was by dint of hard work, training acumen and imaginative placing of his charges that gave him his fourth success as champion conditioner.
Speaking of hard work, champion jockey Trevor Simpson's appetite for it has landed him with yet another title whilst Paul Francis, O'Niel Mullings, Dane Nelson and Phillip Clunis must be commended for finishing in the top 10 in their first full year of riding professionally. Joseph Duany has won another owner's championship the dean of the breeders, Harry Jaghai J.P will take yet another title and Royal Minister will continue as champion sire. Special congratulations to the sectional champions from this column.
As is customary, this column usually, selects a racing Personality of the Year and this time it goes without question to JRC chairman Rudolph Muir, under whose administration the efficient and effective implementation of the machinery for the programme of the use of medication took place.
