Howard Hamilton

The opening of the Caymanas park racing facilities in August of 1959 was heralded as "the greatest forward step that has ever been taken in horse-racing or, indeed any sport in this country."

Here was a facility which was slated to become the home of the greatest horse racing known to the West Indies. Caymanas Park was described as one of the most beautiful race tracks in the world.

There were plans" to make the fullest use of Jamaican climate and of the abundance of nature, to grow flowering trees and shrubs so that you will want to come to Caymanas Park simply because it is a beautiful place."

This was indeed one of the finest and most up to date racing plants of the world - so wrote Alva Ramsay, editor of the West Indian Sportsman. The plant was the brainchild of the Hon. Abe Issa, and it was a wholly private enterprise undertaking. The financiers included along with Abe Issa and the Issa group, Joe Issa, Hon. Douglas Judah, Harry Randall, N.N Ashenheim, and Reginald Rigby of London.

The first set of directors were chairman Hon. Abe Issa, Jamaican Rhodes Scholar and sportsman lawyer Ron Sturdy, noted racing men Vin Aguilar, L.P. Alberga, Alphonso Brandon, financier F. Victor Nunes, Alexander Hamilton, Richard Ashenheim and the managing director, L. Bob Mayall. There were also two English directors - Sir Brian Mountain and Stanhope Joel.

Plant

The intention was to build a plant to take the place of Knutsford Park which was destined to become " a new Kingston" to supplement the commercial needs of a growing city.

The directors wanted to build a plant which would combine the best features of American and English racing so they sent representatives to visit plants in the Caribbean and in the United States.

Most of them already had knowledge of English Racing and knew its short comings and attractions. After numerous visits to race tracks in Miami and Puerto Rico (El Comandante), plans were put together which combined the best features of the English, American and local systems.

At the time of the opening of the new plant L. D. 'Strebor' Roberts wrote: " The transfer of racing to the Caymanas Park race track marks the start of a new era in the sport in Jamaica. The magnificence of the plant is a triumph for the initiative, imagination and enterprise of the Knutsford Park directorate, and also it shows confidence in the public to support the dream that has come true. The future of racing in Jamaica hinges on the success or failure of Caymanas Park as a racing centre; and while there is general optimism it needs more than that.

"Government must take a sane view regarding the importation of horses and other matters related to racing. The promoters must be given a free rein to harness all their resources in horse racing and breeding, which is one of the island's major industries. Caymanas Park racecourse presents a challenging opportunity of putting racing here on a scale never before attempted; and it can be done, if there is all-round goodwill, patience and understanding."

What went wrong with these wonderful ideals? From as far back as 1950 it was recognised that something was seriously wrong with the standard of racing.

Best thoroughbred

In the Racing Year publication of 1951 it was reported then that Jamaica produces the best type of thoroughbred in the entire Caribbean area as evidenced by the uninterrupted success enjoyed by Jamaican bred horse exported to Trinidad and Panama.

The quality of the bloodstock available bears favourable comparison with those to be found in almost any other country. In spite of these undoubted assets, racing, instead of booming, is in a condition which must give rise to considerable anxiety.

The principal cause of this "unhappy state of affairs" was identified then as a scarcityof owners and, in particular, owners of "substance and standing in the community."

The writer goes on to state: "Facts are stubborn things, and the only way to deal with them is to face them squarely. It is a fact that a number of men who today own race horses in Jamaica have no right to be doing so.

Owning race horses cannot, and will never be a poor man's game. It costs five pounds and ten shillings per week to keep a horse in training, and that without any of the incidentals such as shoeing, plating etc. being included.

How can the average wage earner possibly afford such an expense? It simply cannot be done, and that is why it is a matter for so much comment and criticism when men of straw are seen so frequently among the ranks of local owners.

That racing has no appeal to men who could afford to be owners is a lamentable fact. Racing can only flourish in a country where men of substance and standing give it their whole hearted support"

This was the observation made some 57 years ago and the noble intentions of the 'best racing plant in the Caribbean' was to be seriously affected by the declining number of horses to support the programmes being put on. More on this in future articles.