KINGSTON, Jamaica – A gathering of racing stakeholders protested yesterday at Caymanas Park demanding that the promoting company of the sport, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), immediately begin the process of bringing back racing. 

The stakeholders, which included most of the professional groups (trainers, jockeys, and grooms) in vociferous voices, shouted “No racing, no Cash Pot”, while they set on fire, SVREL promotional items, mainly T-shirts. 

The protest by the stakeholders closely followed a news release by SVREL to the horsemen and the media that they were scaling down race track operations at Caymanas Park tomorrow (May 4), to four days, Mondays to Thursdays. 

The release from the company noted that it had no choice due to the severe disruptions and the immense impact of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, on the country’s economy, in particular, St Catherine.  

One protester, a trainer who spoke with OBSERVER ONLINE said the protest was aimed at bringing attention to the plight of horsemen.

“Racing is a sport which supports about thousands of people.  Look at Gregory Park, that community is dead as nit …as it depends so much on racing, and there are others too.  

“We understand that there is the corona, and we don’t want it to spread, but there is no plan, nothing concrete to work with, while at the same time, we are facing a lot of hardship, severe hardship. Things rough! 

“If racing does not return soon, the suffering will be so much, that no assistance will be able to restore any one of us.

“Remember that most of us don’t get a salary, we depend on owners paying us plus the commission we get. Now, most owners cannot pay their bills, and since we have no salaries, there is nothing to cut like at some places. 

‘It bad, very bad, and we need to have at least a deadline,” the trainer said. 

One very vocal groom did not hide his position. 

“How dem a sell Cash Pot whey people have fi gather, and dem can’t have racing. Mi no understand that at all,” he shouted. 

The last race meet was held on Saturday, March 21, without spectators. Another race meet was scheduled for the next day, Sunday, March 22, but was cancelled. 

SVREL took over the promoting of horse racing in early 2016 after its mother company Supreme Ventures Limited was successful in the divestment process for the race track.