Contributor H.G. Helps

The Portmore Municipal Council has confirmed that it has stopped the construction of the proposed new Stewards and Registration Department of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), after the regulatory agency for horse racing in Jamaica failed to follow procedure in getting building approval by the council.

Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas confirmed that the JRC had not submitted a plan to the Municipal Council, and as a result, the municipality halted the construction.

Thomas insisted that the JRC, like other entities seeking to do such projects, must submit a building plan. On Monday, he said that he was unable to find out whether or not a plan had been submitted since the stop order was issued, but promised to check with the council’s engineering department to determine its status.

Attempts to contact the JRC’s chairman, retired banker Clovis Metcalfe, were unsuccessful.

“Yes, the project was stopped, that I can confirm, because a plan is a requirement,” Thomas told Our Today.

The matter came to light in early October, after Supreme Ventures Vice President for Operations Christopher Wills wrote to General Manager of the JRC, Richard Longmore, citing the failure of the JRC in not informing the council, and out of respect and courtesy, Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Ltd (SVREL), that the relocation had begun on the same property owned and operated by SVREL.

There had been earlier discussion between the JRC and SVREL about the plan to relocate from one section of Caymanas Park, Jamaica’s only track for horse racing, to another, but no definite timeframe had been set.

“We were taken aback to learn that construction has commenced without formal approval from Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL) and the Municipal Council,” Wills wrote to Longmore in the letter dated October 3, 2024.

“It is imperative to emphasise that this project should not have been pursued without obtaining the appropriate approvals from the Municipal Council, as well as from SVREL. 

“Any construction or modifications to facilities on our premises must receive prior authorisation to ensure compliance with our operational protocols and standards. Given the current situation, we must insist that all construction activities be discontinued immediately until a thorough review of the proposed plans can take place,” Wills continued.

The SVREL official said that it was crucial for the ongoing amicable partnership between both organisations to continue, and urged the JRC to do what was necessary.

“I have not yet received the necessary approvals from my superiors, and it is concerning that this project was initiated without our consent and without the requisite municipal approvals. We trust that the necessary steps will be taken to ensure compliance moving forward,” Wills said in the letter that was copied to top officials of both entities, as well as Jamaica’s outgoing finance Minister, Dr Nigel Clarke, who has overall state responsibility for the horse racing industry.

The racing scene has been in the spotlight recently, when the race meet of Monday, October 21 at Caymanas Park was abandoned after two of the scheduled 10 races on October 18, as the stewards, who report to the JRC, disqualified the horse that originally won the second race Tekapunt with female jockey Samantha Fletcher aboard. The stewards had said that Tekapunt interfered with the horse My Sunshine, ridden by former champion jockey, Omar Walker. 

Furious punters reacted angrily and physically, by, among other things, throwing debris across the park, resulting in a tense environment, with trainers fearful of saddling their horses. The JRC then called off the meet, on security grounds.

The original placings in the race were eventually upheld, the stewards suspended for six months, with a provision to training them further, and racing resumed five days later without further fuss surrounding the matter.

Although it had nothing to do with the disturbance, SVREL apologised to the racing public for what transpired, which resulted in losses exceeding $70 million, the company said in a statement. It also called for a review of stewardship at the park.

Longmore at the time said that the matter would be investigated. “The betting public is very much a part of the fabric of the racing industry, and at all times, we want to ensure that decisions are aligned with international best practices,” Longmore said.

The October 21 disturbance marked the second time that a race meet was affected by a cancellation at Caymanas Park this year, the first one coming on April 27, when two races were scratched based on rule 44, that relates to the time of starting races. The rule outlines a five-minute limit for the start of a race after the post time has been published.

Racing observers at the time suggested that the JRC had adopted a dictatorial and high-handed approach towards the sport.