By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterMEMBERS OF the Jamaica Racehorse Owners Association (JROA) yesterday passed a resolution calling for a meeting with Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to address matters of concern to the racing industry by June 1.
If this is not forthcoming, they plan to withhold nomination of horses after the June 1 deadline, resulting in an indefinite shutdown of racing at Caymanas Park.
This was the news coming out of an extra-ordinary general meeting of the Association held at the Hotel Four Seasons, Ruthven Road, attended by over 50 members.
The resolution called on the Prime Minister and relevant ministers to meet with a selective team of racing personnel from all sectors, comprising Howard Hamilton and Philip Feanny from the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), president of the JROA Laurence Heffes and executive members Bernard Vincent and Jeffrey Mordecai, the president of the Trainers' Association Lee Clarke and his deputy Vin Edwards, as well as the president of the Grooms' Association Fabian White, president of the Jockeys' Association Leroy Brown, the president of the Jamaica Bookmakers Association Cecil Charlton, head of the United Bookmakers Association Xavier Chin along with representatives of the Jamaica Racing Commission, Caymanas Track Limited and the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission.
FOLLOW-UP
Yesterday's meeting was a follow-up to the JROA's annual general meeting at the same venue six weeks ago, when the membership issued a demand to the government that it addresses the major points of the Action Plan within 30 days.
Back then, the membership resisted calls from certain fractions for immediate protest action and to exercise further patience by deciding to demand, in a resolution, that the government within 30 days make a specific proposal for a meaningful purse increase, as well as to reduce its seven per cent take from the tote and to restore the amount (estimated at $17.7 million in 2002) now taken from the industry's Overseas Levy Scheme by the Ministry of Finance and paid to the Ministry of Sports.
At that meeting on April 6, the JROA said it could not be held responsible if the decisions taken then led to a disruption in the industry because of the government's failure to adequately respond to the JROA's Action Plan.
Since then, there has not been a positive response and another letter from State Minister for Finance Fitz Jackson, read by Heffes, calling for more time did not go over well at yesterday's meeting.
The resolution, which was passed unanimously, came out of a proposal from the floor by Edwards, vice-president of the Racehorse Trainers Association.
DISCONTENT
Earlier, Hamilton, president of TOBA, said there was such discontent in racing at present that an urgent meeting with Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies was needed but Edwards went one step further by calling for the intervention of the Prime Minister to whom a letter has been sent.
Also speaking from the floor were trainer Feanny who said that as a major investor in racing he had more to lose than anyone in the event of a shutdown, but he was now prepared to go that route as "this government responds to nothing", along with owner/trainer Richard Azan, who felt there the deadline should be extended to June 21.
Other contributions were made by Tony Phillips, Alexander Haber, Gresford Smith, Dr. Paul Wright, Dennis Howell, Percy Hussey and of course, Heffes who initially called for a one-day shutdown on Friday, May 23 (Labour Day).
