Cliff Williams

It is now abundantly clear to me at any rate that the racing industry players, in terms of the various interest groups, have pretty much taken on an attitude of 'what will be will be' as far as the future of the local version of the Sport of Kings is concerned.

Frankly, I find their silence rather disconcerting as for too long there has been no active lobby to demand a decision one way or another on divestment negotiations with the preferred bidder. Maybe they should even have formulated and formalised their ideas as to the type of development of the industry they would wish to see as stakeholders when it's time for new investment.

Proposals For Lease

For those who may not be aware, the Government of Jamaica, owners of the commercial operations of the Caymanas racetrack, invited Proposals For Lease over three years ago. Two serious contenders submitted bids and a preference for one was announced more than a year ago, but obviously the Government is in no hurry to transfer the operations of the racetrack to private investors.

From what I have gleaned, the negotiations have proceeded at a snail's pace with little snippets of information on the progress or otherwise leaked or escaping periodically into the public domain. Over the last few weeks, everything surrounding the process has been deliberately shrouded in secrecy. However, I understand that there is a possible date for a decision one way or another some time between now and the end of October this year.

Complete rejection

In fact, speculation has ranged from a rumour that there is a complete rejection of the preferred proposal to strong optimism of a positive outcome by the prospective investors. I suspect the real status of the negotiations is probably somewhere between these two positions give or take a few crucial sticking points. Meaning that there is a gap between what is being proposed by the new prospective investors and what the government is prepared to accept before acquiescing any lease arrangements.

Mouths shut

In the meantime, the principal stakeholders including owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms are quite prepared to keep their collective mouths shut while the industry languishes in a state of inertia. One would have expected that by now there would be a serious lobby for a decision by these obviously anxious but unbelievably patient industry players.

Given the presumption that new investment in the infrastructure and the bloodstock should commence almost immediately to arrest further decline, their silence defies explanation.

I find it incredibly strange that against the background of a failure of the Government to announce a timetable for a decision on divestment, the current stakeholders are seemingly content to adopt a wait-and-see attitude for what seems an interminable period.