Finance minister calls horse racing stakeholders to meeting on Thursday

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke has called stakeholders of the horse racing industry in for a meeting on Thursday to discuss recent developments which have left some disgruntled.

The finance ministry says the meeting will include jockeys, grooms, trainers, owners, promoters, veterinarians, horse care personnel, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), commissioners from the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) and other stakeholders.

The meeting will take place at the Ministry's offices at National Heroes Circle.

"The purpose of the meeting is to discuss recent developments with a view to maintaining an environment that is conducive to the stability and growth of the horse racing industry," the ministry said.

Last Saturday, the JRC, the regulators of local horse racing, flexed their muscles at Caymanas Park by enforcing rule 44 which stipulates that, once a post time is made official, a race can be abandoned by the race stewards if the starter does not send off the race within five minutes after the published time.

READ: SVREL seeks answers from Jamaica Racing Commission

The failure to adhere to this rule resulted in races one and six being cancelled last Saturday.

In a press briefing at the AC Hotel in New Kingston on Monday, Solomon Sharpe, chairman of SVREL, promoters of local horse racing, stated that the recently amended five-minute rule is a unique one that could have a ripple effect throughout Caymanas Park.

Phillip Parchment, president of the Jamaica Jockeys' Guild, also added his voice and he said the abandonment of two races on the same day was quite unfortunate and labelled it as a “bad move” by the JRC.

In a report published in The Gleaner on Sunday, top executives from the JRC told stakeholders that a decision had been made to put a stop to the abandonment of races and to revisit the amended rule.

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