TRAINER Ian Parsard is indicating that ongoing discussions with horse racing promoting company Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) regarding a $70-million purse increase have taken a positive spin and they now await official word to see if the request will be granted.

According to Parsard, who has been assigned by the respective associations of owners, trainers, grooms, and jockeys to represent stakeholders in the negotiations with SVREL, a decision on the outcome is expected to be delivered in writing by Tuesday, January 18.

In relaying the information during a meeting at Caymanas Park yesterday, strike action was seemingly averted as the horsemen, trainers, in particular, had initially threatened to withhold nominations for this weekend’s racecards (Saturday and Sunday) if their demand was not met.

“The discussions are looking more favourable. The increase that we have basically asked for is not even a drop in the bucket but it’s just something that shows good faith between the promoting company and the horsemen,” Parsard told this publication.

“The key really is not only this increase, the key is that we work together to develop a formula that links sales and purses, as we believe that by this method, we help the business to grow, and for the horsemen to benefit.

“We are aware that if something negative was to happen to betting and the promoting company, we would feel it as well because purses would go down. But all of us are aligned in that we want the business to grow and we are willing to do what is required for it to grow,” he added.

Parsard, who is also a chartered accountant, pointed out that the request for the purse increase was well justified as the cost of caring for the horses has gone up since COVID-19 found itself in Jamaica almost two years now. This increase, he said has left trainers and owners, in particular, struggling to survive.

“We put a study together and we pointed out the five basic costs that all horses have to incur to get horses ready to race. Feed is up 20 per cent, grooms’ salary has increased by 20 per cent, bedding has gone up by close to 200 per cent, grass has gone up over 50 per cent and farriers’ fees have gone up significantly as well.

“When we average all of these, we are looking at an overall increase of about 40 or 50 per cent since the last purse increase, and the horse people are struggling badly,” Parsard noted.

When asked if the bodies he represents would revert to strike action should SVREL not comply with their request for an increase, Parsard said “that’s left to be seen”.

“We would have to come back to the stakeholders who sent us – the trainers, the owners, the grooms – and communicate that decision to them and then everybody would have to make their own decision at that point.

“But I don’t think there will be any predetermined action, I think everybody has to be wise because we are still in a pandemic period and everything has to be balanced. We will come and discuss and we will take it a step at a time,” Parsard stated.

“Because there are some positives that we are seeing from the promoting company, I think they have a vision; all we are saying is that as the promoting company improves, they have to bring the horsemen along. That is very important,” he ended.