President of the United Racehorse Trainers Association (URTA), Ryan Darby believes that the annual renewal of the Diamond Mile has had a positive spin-off on the local racing but insisted that more can be done to enhance the quality of the industry.

“Owners and trainers can always look forward to the Diamond Mile and the improvements, the spin-offs have not fully taken effect right across the board.

“The Diamond Mile has been somewhat downgraded this year [2019] which is a negative step and then there is the possibility of the race being discontinued next year, but overall it is still a good concept that should be continued by the sponsors; they [the sponsors] must find a way to make it possible.

“As the English-speaking Caribbean leaders in horseracing we should have a day or two like this every year,” the URTA president offered.

Darby further stated: “It improves the industry with better horses because the Diamond Mile provides the opportunity for owners and trainers to procure young horses with the thought of winning the Diamond Mile while some even import horses, so the spin-off of that initiative is to have better-graded horses in the overall racing system. Already we are seeing more imported horses racing nowadays and that is an improvement over the last five to six years, but this is not enough but it is a start.”

Recognising the need for change and that change is always difficult to achieve, Darby urged the sponsors of the Diamond Mile to further enhance the product and as a result racing in general.

“At present, I think that the Government should intervene and do more to improve the racing stock.

“The Government needs to find a way to, for example, remove the levy, tax on especially breeding stock, to assist in the growth of the local breeding industry,” Darby ended.