Editor’s Note: The following article was first published in the Trinidad Guardian newspaper.

The first day of the 2021 racing season took place as usual on January 1, and with the second day of the season scheduled for January 23 there is plenty of time for reflection and decisions regarding the future of the sport in this country.

Horse racing in Trinidad and Tobago has experienced many peaks and troughs over its long history here but few would disagree that the current trough must be the worst ever. The sport has been able to survive the economic bust of the 1980s and early 1990s; the adverse issues arising out of the proposed centralisation in Caroni; the cessation of the sport in Tobago; the centralisation of the sport in Arima; an equine virus in 1979; the departure from the sport of many of the leading owners through death or disillusionment; and so many more challenges over the years.

The optimists amongst us would argue that having survived so many varied challenges, there must be some optimism that the sport can survive this current trough – however, low it is considered to be. These optimists might also point to the revival seen in Barbados and to a lesser extent Jamaica, as signals that the sport can recover from setbacks.

On Boxing Day the Barbados Turf Club staged a 13-race card with racing under the lights (a new initiative launched a few weeks earlier), including the staging of a Boxing Day Derby for the first time in living memory. Jamaica’s racing continues to be bolstered by support from the promoter’s national lottery system and the strength of the island’s breeding industry.

The pessimists amongst us would counter those arguments with considerations that the sport has never been as low as it currently is, with a dearth of new owners willing to invest in new racing or breeding stock; the slow decline in owner-breeders and the lack of success in many of the top breeders/racing families; the continued in-fighting among those charged with the responsibility of steering the sport out of its current challenges; the parlous state of the local economy with little sign of improvement in the short term; a dearth of sponsorship (the New Year’s Day card was sponsored by the anonymous “stakeholders”); and decaying physical infrastructure. Any of these challenges in isolation would be foreboding for the sport, but taken in conjunction it is fairly easy to understand why the pessimists may have the upper hand in the arguments.

Notwithstanding the strength of the arguments of these pessimists, these arguments also provide the blueprint for what is required to turn the sport’s fortunes around in this country.

The next three weeks should be used by Arima Race Club’s (ARC ) leadership (board and management) to put their collective wisdom together and engage the sport’s other interests – regulators, breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms. The first objective should be to identify what is needed to inspire more interest in the sport…maybe change the racing day from a Saturday to a weekday (since Sundays would require regulatory changes which seem out of reach…maybe change the conditions of the races framed to encourage bigger fields and more betting interests.

For this to make sense, and regardless of whether there is any relaxation in attendance protocols, the ARC must ensure its electronic betting channels are fully operational and, if possible, try to extend its reach beyond Trinidad and Tobago’s shores. A combination of these two might yield increased betting turnover and more revenue for the local promoter. Engaging the various interested parties can then also yield other initiatives that can be employed to stimulate the sport.

Any organisation when faced with the challenges that confront this one would adopt such a collaborative approach if the objective is to overcome the challenges in the shortest possible period; and as such, it should seem logical to those responsible that this is the only way forward. Attempting to come up with a solution in their own meeting room or office will not achieve the desired result.

In life, however, things are never as logical or straightforward as they appear to be and in horse racing, most punters know that the unexpected is never far away. The next three weeks could therefore also be used by those in authority in the sport to seriously consider their own future in the sport and possibly volunteer to give over the reins (no pun intended) to any other group that expresses a desire to run the sport.

This could start with a request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from the local and international communities. Arima Race Club could provide a lease to the successful bidder to run the sport for 5 years with an option to renew on pre-agreed terms for a further five years if necessary. Assistance in the preparation of this request for EOIs could come from many quarters. The time is now, but like everything else, time waits on none.