Sharpe lashes out at JRC’s stewards

IN the aftermath of yesterday’s reinstatement of TEKAPUNT as the winner of Monday’s second race at Caymanas Park, following a review by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), Solomon Sharpe, chairman, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), issued a sharp rebuke of the operations stewards, citing, “significant training gaps that have resulted in local stewarding practices falling short of international standards”.

“SVREL has repeatedly expressed concerns to the JRC about the current state of officiating at Caymanas Park, unfortunately, without resolution. Our internal investigation has identified significant training gaps that have resulted in local stewarding practices falling short of international standards,” Sharpe stated in a release shortly after it was made public that the JRC had reversed its stewards’ decision, which had triggered a debris-throwing riot among disgruntled racegoers, resulting in the abandonment of the Heroes Day meet.

“This disparity is unacceptable for a racing jurisdiction aspiring to world-class status,” Sharpe said, issuing a call for “immediate intervention by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service”.

“Given the impact of these decisions on our racing product’s integrity and our stakeholders’ livelihoods, we are now elevating this concern to the national level.

“We believe immediate intervention by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is necessary to address the apparent lack of standardised training, unclear accountability structures, and inconsistent application of racing rules,” Sharpe continued, calling for “an urgent industry wide review of stewarding standards, including:

- Implementation of mandatory certification programmes

- Regular assessment and retraining requirements

- Clear accountability frameworks

- Transparent decision-making processes

- An independent appeals mechanism

Stating that the cancellation of Monday’s meet ”resulted in revenue losses exceeding $70 million, affecting everyone within the horseracing ecosystem including owners, trainers, jockeys and grooms”, Sharpe said, “SVREL will adopt a more assertive stance in demanding accountability from all industry participants.

“We firmly believe that true progress can only be achieved through collective effort, shared responsibility, and consistent application of standards across all areas of the sport.”

- Ainsley Walters