I heard on television last night the recent comment by the Minister of Trade and Industry that the horse-racing industry is now given two years to make good, otherwise it is a final goodbye for the sport.While I am sure that the minister's statement manifests his serious and genuine responsibility to protect taxpayers, I am afraid that the minister seems unaware of the true requirements for turning around the sport and is apparently misled.
The decline of horse-racing is a pre-disposing influence and has been caused by several factors too numerous to mention in this column, except for one item, and that is a dithering past government which, unfortunately, had the wrong idea that horse-racing is gambling which, unfortunately, it is totally not.
In fact, horse-racing, even at a loss, makes a genuine economic contribution to the country. As astute businessmen would say, small loss is better than big loss.Both the financial and economic models must be paralleled to determine an optimum conclusion about the sport. It seems as though the minister is only looking at the financial model and the bottom line of the Arima Race Club by his premature statement.
There is no magic potion for correcting a pre-disposing influence in an instant flash-crime being another pre-disposing influence in our national community and the state of emergency, although absolutely necessary to repel an exponential situation, cannot by itself solve the crime problem.
To correct the situation, there must be goal congruence and all parties working towards a common solution. The problem must be identified, analysed, solutions proposed, solutions analysed and solutions implemented. There is also the test of hypothesis.Nobody, not even my heavenly father, could ever turn around horse-racing in this country in two years.
More time is absolutely necessary. A race horse needs three years of childhood before going to the gates on a race day. Horse-racing in our country also needs many more horses, firstly, in order to obtain more owners and to satisfy demand. This can only come from better prizes as there are hardly any more kings around.
Dr Steve Bennett, a veteran in the sport, is quite correct that breeders are badly handicapped and cannot breed better horses in stables only and that the business needs more land, some 800 acres. There are also competing interests for land; people want more houses and there seems an apparent shortage of land (which I doubt) as vital agricultural land now converts. Therefore, both the Government and/or its politicians, will dilly dally again because the Government is yet to learn the art of decisive management-a huge problem-and tries to please everyone.
The coming bash on December 3 hailed as the biggest event in horse racing history will fail to deliver the goods. This is an absolute fallacy and mamaguy and must be regarded as the best example of hoodwinking the Government and the relevant minister, a seeming horse-racing newcomer, very proud to be seen next to a Derby winner last September.
So unless we start from the bottom up, and it will take at least five years for a well-contrived proposal to mature, we are all fooling ourselves and crystal gazing. Come January next year, we will be depending on the lower classes, like Love in Tokyo and Sweet Parang Music, to carry the mantle.Instead of spending the National Lotteries Control Board, First Citizens and the Tourism Development Company money (almost a million to subsidise a single day), and this apart from several taxpayer millions from the Betting Levy Board-this money would have been better invested in increasing the prizes to encourage new owners for the next two years and also investing in the breeding industry.
Horse-racing needs the land first.
When it is all over and done with, a forensic investigation should follow to determine the financial and futuristic benefits from December 3 and, if there are little or no returns, then whoever is responsible for this great or tragic day of mamaguy should be made to refund taxpayers' dollars. More equipped management must be subsequently installed, otherwise is crapaud smoking on horse back.
PS Moralles
via e-mail