Owners Association president Laurence Heffes addressing trainers at Caymanas Park yesterday. The protesting trainers voted to prolong their boycott to Saturday's meet. -Junior Dowie photo
Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
MEMBERS OF the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Asso-ciation (JRTA) voted overwhelmingly to withhold nominations for Saturday's race meet at Caymanas Park, this at an emergency meeting yesterday inside the Trainers' Room at the track.
The trainers are continuing protest action over the September 1 implementation of Gazetted amendments to Racing Rules 2 by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) which provides for stiffer penalties for positive drug findings.
Under the amended regulations, trainers can now be fined a maximum of $250,000 and suspended for up to seven years.
The new regulations were announced by the Commission's chief vet, Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, at a press conference last Thursday and took effect from Saturday's race meet, prompting members of the JRTA to boycott yesterday's mid-week meet by withholding nominations as a mark of protest.
Having received no response from the JRC since, president of the JRTA, Vin Edwards, convened yesterday's meeting attended by over 100 trainers, to seek a mandate from the membership whether or not to continue the boycott.
"You can't make laws that affect people economically and socially. I won't accept that," said a defiant Edwards during his near hour-long speech.
LATE PAYMENT OF PURSES
Continuing, the former member of Parliament charged that the JRC "made up their minds to have seven amendments to the rule and tried to mask it with thresholds. They think we are fools... I am not nominating no horse under those rules," he said.
Edwards, who also rapped the Commission for the late payment of purses which was also an issue, said he wrote to the JRC on August 25 asking them not to implement the rules until both parties had dialogue on the matter. Despite this, the Commission went ahead and announced its implementation.
"I expect to hear from somebody this evening," said Edwards in obvious reference to JRC personnel. "The ball is in your hands," he told the trainers. "Send the message that dem come talk to us."
In a massive show of hands the trainers agreed to continue the boycott.
Also addressing the gathering were trainer Richard Azan, one of two bidders for the privatisation of Caymanas Park, and Laurence Heffes, president of the Jamaica Racehorse Owners Association.
AGENDA FOR NEGOTIATION
While declaring that he agreed with everything Edwards said, Azan recommended that a committee of the JRTA be set up with legal representation to sit with the JRC.
This he said would set out an agenda for negotiation via proper protocol and in the meantime, the trainers should nominate. This was shot down by Edwards (who interrupted Azan's speech on two occasions) and other members, some of whom said Azan should be allowed the courtesy to finish his address.
Heffes supported withholding nominations until the JRC has arranged to meet and discuss the matter against the background of legal representation.
"I don't think the JRC should implement these rules until a meeting is called. They should set aside the new ruling until we can negotiate. If we do not get an appointment we do not nominate any horses... It's the practical thing to do," said the former champion owner.
Meanwhile, the JRTA has written to the Commission urging them to set aside the Gazetted rules and come to the negotiating table before things can return to normal.