“THE simple fact is that we have very little money to deal with any major capital expansion at this time.” Those are the words of chairman of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) Christopher Brown when he spoke with the Complete Racing Guide following the abandonment of the last four races on Saturday at Caymanas Park.

These races were abandoned by the stewards of the race meeting following complaints, mainly by jockeys, of the dust nuisance caused by the lack of water on the track and the heavy winds prevailing at the time.

“Let me try and explain what is happening. The equipment we use to pump water from two wells at Caymanas Park is now non-functional. They are not working.

“The cost of getting new equipment to bring the two wells back into proper service is approximately $16-17 million. This is not chicken feed money and CTL is not awash with cash, as we have to pay staff and purses. We started the process of locating the equipment necessary two weeks ago. So, yes,we knew of the problems at hand and we took the necessary steps. The equipment has been purchased and will arrive in the next two weeks.

“These are not items available in Jamaica so we had to check overseas. This takes time, not only in finding the equipment but also to find the funds to facilitate the purchase,” Brown said.

Responding to criticisms from industry players that the lack of water at Caymanas Park has been an ongoing one and is nothing new, chairman Brown said: “Yes, it is a fact that sometimes we have water problems, but to have two wells down at the same time is not normal. The board and management of the company are working to ensure that the issues presently at hand are fixed to the satisfaction of all concerned. I, however, want to point out that the problems we have now are the direct result of the non-infusion of capital for the Caymanas Park infrastructure over many years. The plant is old and out of sync with modern-day construction and the increased needs of the industry. For years upon years, CTL has not invested in things like the proper trucks and tractors, but we are presently looking at the situation with the hope of making significant upgrades.”

Criticisms have also being levelled at CTL for their interim response to the shortage of water on the Caymanas compound.

“We are really trying our best. We got a new water truck and have installed another pump in order to supply water to the stables and for the preparation of the racetrack. The pump now affixed to one of the wells simply cannot manage the outflows required. We are doing our best and we apologise to our stakeholders and the racing public for the inconvenience,” Brown said.

Brown indicated that he had called an emergency meeting for yesterday morning with the management of CTL to find ways of alleviating the situation at the racetrack.