Back on track: six-race card scheduled for Saturday at Caymanas Park; URTAJ president Smellie vexed by move to nominate

Though there has been no official word on the outcome of previous negotiations between horsemen and promoting company Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), both parties seem to have found common ground for the most parts, as live racing is set to return to Caymanas Park on Saturday by way of a six-race card.

This follows the cancellation of races on July 15 and 16, after the Patrick Smellie-led United Racehorse Trainers' Association of Jamaica (URTAJ) opted not to nominate as a show of their discontent to the promoting company’s offer of a $27-million purse increase.

Following a meeting on Monday, Smellie and a majority of his counterparts declared intentions to again withhold nominations, if SVREL doesn’t offer a more attractive purse increase, which all but signalled the possibility of another cancelled race day.

However, a meeting between representatives of the Howard Hamilton-led Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) and the promoting company, also held on Monday, seemingly broke the deadlock.

The owners' group during that meeting, recommended that 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, along with the $18 million Quarterly Incentive payments to owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms.

Additionally, TOBA suggested that a three per cent commission earned from inter-tote wagering on local racing, could also be allotted to purses and they also required a full disclosure of SVREL’s arrangement with BetMakers as it relates to fixed-odds betting, with a view that a percentage of those profits should also put to purses going forward.

While SVREL chairman Solomon Sharpe and members of his team had requested time to take those recommendations into consideration, the nomination of horses to allow for this weekend's short programme, implies that some inroads have been made.

But Smellie when contacted, pointed out that he is not aware of any changes where their demands for a more substantial increase is concerned. As such, he expressed strong disappointment with his colleagues who nominated horses.

“I don't know what changed. Nothing has changed between us and Supreme Ventures Racing, so I'm very disappointed in about 50 per cent of the trainers that nominated horses, I don't think they know where we are going. We were fighting for something for the benefit of all grooms, trainers, owners, and horsemen at Caymanas Park,” a vexed Smellie said.

“Never in the history of Caymanas Park we had so much people together, but I understand that there was some rumours going around that Howard Hamilton had said on national radio that people must nominate. So somebody started that rumour and got some weak knee trainers jumping and I guess they started to nominate. So, to say disappointed is an understatement,” he added.

Still, the URTAJ president took heart from the fact that his group and those it represents, achieved its objective in making a statement.

“We have observed the myopic thinking of the promoters and some of these trainers. So we are here, we are going to gather again and have a meeting shortly and see where we move from here because if they want to race for 3.5 percent increase then they can do so.

“I thank all the trainers and owners that stood up and fight the cause because those other four races could have been filled if these guys didn't stand up and fight for what they believe in,” Smellie argued.