No board but racing as usual Saturday

The failure of  Government to appoint the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority Board has placed racing in a tailspin. But the Arima Race Club are going ahead with the staging of their customary card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima on Saturday. The TTRA have the responsiblity for approving all race cards but with no board in place the plans for Saturday’s racing is in uncertain waters. President of the ARC Gerard Ferreira confirmed yesterday that there will be racing on Saturday. “Based on legal advice, there is actually nothing to stop us from racing once we have the endorsements from all in the major players in the industry,” he said. “The appointment of a board is planned for cabinet today,” he said. “But for its approval it must return to cabinet and hopefully next Thursday will be the second sitting,” he said.

“Everybody wants racing,” he stated. “I have spoken to a number of incoming members, whose names were submitted by their various bodies and all have given the thumbs up for racing,” the former Mayor of San Fernando said. “The appointment of a new board will be a continuity of the old one and when formed will only have to ratify the provisional programme for April,” he said. “We submitted our provisional programme for April to the Racing Secretary of the TTRA last month,” he said. “The secretary wrote us back stating that without the appointment of a new board he is unable to approve same.”

Prospective nominees to the new TTRA board were submitted to Government in early January, approximately one month ahead of the termination date of the last administration on February 7. Entries for two handicap events for Saturday were taken on Monday, while the deadline for  declaring runners, jockeys and equipment for the other races was yesterday. But the paucity of entries in two of the latter events has given the ARC additional time to press Government to fast-track the board.

The West Indian four-year-old and over non-winners of four races was given added time, with the hope of attracting additional runners,  while the Optional Claiming $14,000 event was cancelled. In order to ensure a full ten-race programme,  the race club have replaced the cancelled event with another for West Indian bred three-year-old maidens. Both event will close at  9 am today. The race club have received the endorsements from all the major bodies that keep the local sport alive and based.