By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterTHE CHIEF steward and director of racing at the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) Lloyd Cobran, said he was very concerned about the riding of jockeys at Caymanas Park, but there is now a process in place to monitor the situation.
Addressing yesterday's media brunch at the Commission's Winchester Road offices to mark the 31st anniversary celebrations of the JRC, Cobran said the stewards were concerned about safety on the track and "take the view that we would not like to see another accident at Caymanas Park".
He said that over the years the JRC has not had an ongoing remedial programme for repeat offenders, but this was changing.
Cobran said a programme was introduced by the JRC earlier this year and it has had a positive effect.
He said any jockey guilty of four infringements within a two-month period must sit with the stewards each Tuesday at the Commission for six consecutive weeks in order to clean up his act. If he recommits himself while attending the sessions, two additional days will be added.
"We have had several riders with us," Cobran was quick to point out. "Jockeys have even volunteered to be with the programme which has had some success."
According to Cobran, the programme has helped the riders to keep focussed and "some have shown remarkable changes in attitudes". He recalled that one rider, when shown replay of the races, confessed that he did not realise how badly they had been riding.
Turning to other matters, Cobran said the JRC was taking a look at the entire drug testing and integrity programme which started on April 5 with the Salix (Lasix) programme. He disclosed that there will be the introduction of thresholds for approximately seven therapeutic medications and warned of regulatory action against persons who exceed the thresholds.
JRC TO SET OUT RULES
In addition, the JRC will be setting out the rules clearly pertaining to what are the responsibilities of trainers against prohibited substances, as well as the introduction of rules providing for the specific responsibility of owners with regards to the care and treatment of their horse. Cobran said he is aware of situations where owners see obvious cases of neglect by trainers but do nothing.
Cobran went on to point out that the vaccination programme will be entrenched in the rules and penalties for non-compliance will be extended to farm (stud farm) animals. Additionally, he said, the JRC will be looking at medication restrictions as many persons, he claimed, who were not veterinarians are medicating horses.
He said soon only licenced vets at Caymanas Park would be allowed to have medication equipment like syringes and needles in their possession. In closing, Coburn said these initiatives would be embarked on in 2004.
Also speaking were Ruth Smith-Sutherland, general manager of the JRC and its chief veterinarian Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett who provided a positive update on the Lasix programme after eight months, noting that the number of Lasix starts during the period was 1374 among 230 horses, while the number of horses removed from Lasix was 21 (one returned). He said 52 per cent of trainers participated in the programme.
Also present were JRC vet Dr. Sophia Ramlal, director of finance Rapheta Taylor, Owners and Breeders Association president Howard Hamilton and CTL's chairman William Chin-See who, responding to questions re the decrease in the number of race days in 2004 (down to 84 from 92 this year), said Wednesday racing had become unprofitable. However, he conceded that it was open to revision.
Meanwhile, the inaugural running of the 2-y-o maiden special for the Richard Ashenheim Cup over 1500 metres is today's midweek feature at Caymanas Park. This should come down to a straight fight between SEA TREATY and the more experienced SIR GEE with the lightly raced SEA TREATY given the edge. I also like BATTLEOX to win the first race, DR. R.S.F. over TSUNAMI and WHITE WATER in the second, STRAIGHT SIX in the fifth, RUCKUS in the seventh and PEACE & LOVE over recent conqueror YOUNG FOR ALL and SIR DONALD in the knotty eighth race.
