Page 34
Kaieteur News
Monday September 02, 2013
India-WI Tests Trinidad Horseracing officials assesses racing situation here planned for November Not pleased with how sport is governed
Part of the Guyana Cup action. The slimmest of victories as Cat Messiah no2 edges Silent Night. By Samuel Whyte A number of top horseracing officials from the neighbouring Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago were recently in Guyana for the staging of the Seventh Annual Guyana Cup and to observe on how horseracing is conducted in this country. With an event as big as the Guyana Cup being staged, it was an ideal opportunity for the officials to make a reasonable assessment on how things are done in this country. Five officials were part of the team that came on a private visit and along with a few private owners in Guyana are in the process of trying to improve the standard and see how they could help to develop the sport here. The top officials making the trip were - Trainer Glen Mendes a veteran and top trainer in Trinidad and
Tobago with undisputable repute who has been in the sport for a long time. Mendes hails from Central Trinidad. He has trained many horses to championship glory in the twin Island Republic. Among his achievements are training top class runner Carnival Messiah, two time triple crown winner in Trinidad and Tobago. Brian Stollmeyer who is a member of The Trinidad and Tobago Horse Racing Authority is also a top personnel in the Horse racing fraternity in Trinidad. The Stollmeyer family is horse owners and is synonymous with the sports in that country and owns the Stollmeyer Estate and Farm in Western Trinidad. Stephen Jordon is another veteran trainer with high standing in the twin Island Republic, who is anxious to assist his Guyanese counterparts move forward.
GCA\NBS second division tourney
DCC refuse to play GYO, Rain ruins several matches Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) refused to play host Gandhi Youth Organization (GYO) yesterday in their scheduled match of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)\ New Building Society (NBS) second division 40 over competition. The game was rescheduled to start at 12:40hrs due to a damp area on the outfield and at the time of the toss, the DCC captain informed the umpires that his team will not take part in the match. Meanwhile, rain prevented a ball from being bowled in the other matches that were set for Saturday and Sunday as well as the scheduled games in the Banks Malta Supreme U13 25 overs tournament on Friday. Chairman of the competitions committee Shaun Massiah said that they are hoping to play the final preliminary round games in the U-13 competition on Saturday weather permitting; Transport SC is set to play DCC, GYO will take on Georgetown Cricket Club and Everest Cricket Club will face Malteenoes. GYO and Everest are leading the points table.
Considered one of the top trainers in Trinidad, Jordon has training experience in both Trinidad and North America with reasonable success in Canada. He has over the years trained a number of winners including Mob the Warrior the 2012 Gold Cup Winner in Trinidad. Dip Singh is also a top racing official in Trinidad and is an ex member of racing fraternity in the twin Island Republic. Sham Mohammed the youngest member of the entourage is the son of veteran trainer and Trinidad Express reporter Glen Mohammed. Mohammed is a member of the Glen Mohamed racing stable. Their entity is responsible for making the entire arrangements for the horses that are purchased in Trinidad to be shipped (Air Freight) to Guyana. Some of their engagements include making the necessary contacts and arrangements with the relevant Governments agencies in both countries including the relevant Ministries and GRA. The animals also have to receive a microchip which is placed in them so the authorities can keep a track of their movements. During the observation of the Guyana Cup, the officials inspected the horses that took part in the feature B class event. Their purpose was to identify the best turned out horse among those entered to compete in the feature $7M race for a first prize of $3.5M. Upon inspecting the horses they decided that Grande De Roja of the Jumbo Jet stables trained and groomed by Deonarine ‘Black Boy’ Ramroop was the best
groomed horses on show. They presented $10,000 to the connections of the animal. The officials came to Guyana using their own finances and were accommodated by officials of the Jagdeo, Elcock and Jumbo Jet Stables. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport, Sham Mohammed bluntly stated that racing in Guyana has a problem how it is governed. He stated that although the races are competitive, Guyana has a far way to go to catch up. He mentioned the crowd on the track – no one should be on the track, especially during the race. It is an unhealthy sight and something should be done. He said that, too many persons were involved in all kinds of activities on race day that they should not be involved in. “If management falls down, then everything falls down,” he mentioned. There is almost no order in the way things are done, he noted, stating that - only a few persons should be allowed in the paddock area, such as, the grooms, trainer, owner, jockey and stewards, no one else, especially when a race is about to be conducted. The horses owners, jockeys, trainers should all have an association and their complaints should be directed to the relevant personnel who will act on behalf of their respective members. The Horse Owners Association should have a lot of say in terms of conditions of track, treatment of horse and owners and should inspect the track before races etc. Track management is lacking and a governing body or board should be responsible on race day. Not owners and trainers and stewards all getting mixed up and confused in who is to do what. It was observed that some of the same persons were weighing, judging, training, grooming, writing and a number of other things which are wrong; “In that way you cannot get fairness,” he asserted. He said that there should also be a bet and levy board in place, which will go a far way in eliminating many of the hiccups on race day. Every effort should also be made to eliminate the uncontrolled and illegal betting that takes place on race day. The forecast booths should also be reintroduced and that should help. There are a few suggestions being looked at on how to assist in eliminating the scourge.
ESPNcricinfo - The BCCI has planned a Test series at home in November against West Indies, ahead of the scheduled South Africa tour, thus giving Sachin Tendulkar the opportunity to play his landmark 200th Test at home; he will perhaps bid farewell to the game at the end of the Test series. Tendulkar, who is two Tests short of becoming the first cricketer to feature in 200 Tests, was expected to put an end to his 24-year sojourn at the highest level at the end of the South Africa Test series. The Tests series against West Indies, which will comprise at least two Tests likely to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai in November, offers him a perfect stage to sign off in his hometown. Following the injury to his left hand while playing for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a league match during IPL 2013, which effectively advanced his IPL retirement, doubts had arisen over the 40year-old’s participation in the South Africa tour. However, after undergoing a surgery on his injured hand, Tendulkar has been included in the Mumbai Indians’ squad for the Champions League Twenty20. Besides achieving the 200-Test landmark, Tendulkar would also be keen to sign off on a high. The veteran batsman has not been able to score a century in his last 38 Test innings, since his
memorable knock of 146 in Cape Town in January 2011. The closest he came to a three figures in Tests since then was against West Indies in November 2011, when he edged one to slips six runs short of what would have been his 100th international hundred at the Wankhede Stadium, his home ground. The BCCI claimed to have received an email from the West Indies Cricket Board confirming its interest in the series, and accordingly placed the proposal before the working committee. The plan for the West Indies series was announced after the BCCI’s working committee meeting on Sunday. Though the BCCI did not specify the number of matches that will be played, ESPNcricinfo understands that the WICB have been offered two options. “The tour could see either two Tests and three ODIs, or three Tests,” a BCCI official said. As important as the series is from the Tendulkar angle, the BCCI was also concerned about a possible dip in its revenues for the current financial year since, after the limited-overs series against Australia in October, India weren’t scheduled to play at home for the rest of the financial year. “That would have meant lesser gross revenue, and profits as a result, than the last year’s,” an insider said. “And it is something that none of the stakeholders in Indian cricket would want.”
Will Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th be at the Wankhede? (BCCI)