Despite the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) confirming that the $5.3 billion said to have been the revenue generated by Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) in 2022 was correct after various checks, the local racing industry stakeholders have once again refused to accept the $27-million increase in purse money.

The bid was initially rejected by stakeholders because they insist SVREL had generated $6.2 billion. The stand-off led to the cancellation of last weekend’s live racing at Caymanas Park.

After a meeting with his members on Monday, July 17, 2023, Patrick Smellie, president of the United Racehorse Trainers’ Association of Jamaica (URTAJ), announced that they have opted to withhold nominations, which could result in no live racing at Caymanas Park on Saturday, July 22.

“We the trainers have decided that we are still not accepting the $27-million increase in purse money from SVREL because there is an anomaly in the numbers based on why we signed for 49 per cent,” Smellie told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“The numbers that we had signed for that we saw that SVREL and BGLC gave us from January 2022, those numbers are now changing. At that time in January of 2022 before the deed was signed, we weren’t sending any signal abroad for local racing, and so I can’t see how the numbers are now changing that drastically.

“In January of 2022, the numbers that they gave us, that we looked on, that’s why we signed the deed and decided to work with them [SVREL] with the 49 per cent, and so we are still questioning why that has happened but the trainers are still deciding that they will not run races for $27 million and so no nomination tomorrow (Tuesday).

Smellie also indicated that members of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) met with SVREL to resolve the concerns, but the meeting ended in a deadlock, which does not bode well for the return of live racing.

“Some representative from TOBA met with SVREL today and it ended in a stalemate with Solomon Sharpe going back to his bosses to tell them what has transpired, and so we are all standing firm. We are hoping that we can have good dialogue with them to resume as soon as possible,” he said.

Following the meeting with SVREL, TOBA sent a media release regarding the ongoing purse-money discussions.

It stated: “The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) of Jamaica met with representatives of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) on Monday, July 17, in furtherance of ongoing purse-money discussions, which led to the withholding of nominations by trainers for the racemeets of Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16, 2023.

“TOBA’s team, comprising directors Andrew Azar, Garwin Tulloch and vice-president Desmond Lewis, accompanied by Chief Executive Officer Ainsley Walters, met with SVREL Chairman Solomon Sharpe and acting general managers, Aswanda Stoddart and Christopher Wills.

“Faced with $27m being the purse money increase put forward for 2023 by SVREL, whose $5.32 billion in sales on local racing was recently confirmed by the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission after six months of deliberations, TOBA made presentations and recommendations to the SVREL team, seeking to have the promoting company consider increase its offer, which owners have rejected as being inadequate to keep horses in training.”

TOBA’s recommendations are as follows:

(1) SVREL’s overpayment of taxes on $6.2 billion in sales initially reported, amounting to what should be approximately $41.7 million in rebates, be put to purse money for 2023.

(2) Redirect $18 million quarterly incentive payments to owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms to purses for 2023.

(3) Allot a percentage of three per cent commission earned from inter-tote wagering on local racing to purses.

(4) Disclosure of arrangement with BetMakers as it relates to fixed-odds betting with a view to a percentage of profits put to purses going forward.

The release added: “Though SVREL acknowledged TOBA’s recommendations, committing to re-engage the association, the promoting company cited circumstances beyond their control as external factors to be considered ahead of resuming discussions.

“SVREL added to the discourse by pointing to funds taken from the racing industry unclaimed winnings, which it believes should be returned to purses annually, suggesting TOBA could lead the lobby for racing’s monies to remain in the industry.

“TOBA acknowledges SVREL’s request for time to analyse and consider the recommendations tabled. TOBA awaits SVREL’s return to dialogue in order to hasten the resumption of local racing as the hub of the thoroughbred industry.

TOBA has advised all owners to continue paying the expenses for keep and care of horses.”