SOME racing officials are blaming the past United National Congress (UNC) administration, the Chinese and Syrian connections, for the fall of the racing industry today.

During the UNC reign of power between 1995-2001, the government had shelved the legislation to establish a National Racing Commission (NRC), which some turfites predict would have turned around the fortunes of the sport by now and the industry would not have had to depend on the government for support.

A former racing official was responding to an article in last Friday’s TnT Mirror headlined, “Govt dragging $10 million racing grant”, which the Arima Race Club (ARC) is requesting to put racing back on the right track.

This proposal is part of a rationalisation plan, which has been submitted to the government by the stakeholders in the racing industry to make the sport viable.

Turfite KAMA MAHARAJ (left) and owner MERLIN
SAMLALSINGH lead in Bold As Brass into winners’
enclosure during the Friday Evening Lime last week.

The sexy Carib girls wanted to pose with the winner
of the W. I bred three year-old Maidens, Vera Cruz
with jockey LORNE KEIZER in the saddle.
Standing among them is trainer ROHIT DUBE.

The official is accusing both former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday and former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj of stalling the passage of the NRC legislation, which was passed in the House of Representatives and only needed the approval of the Senate.

He noted that just before the legislation was due to go to the Senate, Panday put the Bill on hold and appointed Lindsey Gillette, who was a Minister in the Ministry of Finance to review the legislation (which was already approved by Cabinet) and come up with changes.

“This was only a ploy to shelve the NRC,” one racing official said.

Certain Chinese turfites and Syrian bookmakers were lobbying the government to stop the NRC legislation, which they claim would put the “bookies” out of business.

The Chinese connection was also associated with a company involved in the gambling business .

The bookies were successful in the move and the NRC legislation was swept under the carpet until the UNC went out of government.

The NRC legislation, which was proposed by former Betting Levy Board (BLB) chairman Merlin Samlalsingh would have generated some $100 million a year in revenue from SP (starting price) betting on both English and American racing.

It was proposed that 50 per cent of the income would have gone to assist Sports and Culture.

Under the NRC legislation, the Off-Track Betting Shops bets would have taken bets both English and American racing and payouts would have been the same as on the foreign tracks.

English racing would have brought in the greater revenue because of the number of races a day and the different tracks in England.

But this would have been in direct competition with the bookies, who claim that they would have been forced out of business.

The People’s National Movement (PNM) Government is also being accused of supporting the bookmakers who are being accused of “killing” local racing.