Colin Elcock will not participate in Guyana Cup, calls for proper horseracing rules to be in place

Jul 24, 2022 Sports

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Kaieteur News – Renowned horse-racing owner, trainer, and enthusiast Colin Elcock has officially confirmed his non-participation at the impending Guyana Cup Horse Racing Meet, citing a paucity of legitimate and accredited statutes, as the primary basis for his stable’s absence.

According to Elcock, while the reasons for his non-participation in the much-hyped meet are numerous, the absence of established rules, regulations, and practices, under the ambit of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority to govern the privately coordinated championship, is the paramount reason for his non-participation.

He elucidated, “Colin Elcock horse racing stables will not be featuring at the Guyana Cup Horse Race Meeting in August this year. There are a number of reasons for example the promoter clearly states they are a private racing commission with private in-house rules. This stable has no issue with the organizer choosing this route and the sponsors who support this event. Please note horse racing is serious business governed by a host of international rules.”

The 2022 edition of the Guyana Cup, which is being coordinated by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, is slated for August 14th at the Rising Sun Turf Club, West Coast Berbice. The tournament is presently the marquee event on the horse racing calendar.

Elcock further expounded, “Horses have to be properly classified by competent and independent stewards. The list has to be published at least one month prior to the event. To date, we haven’t seen such information, the distances for the race have to be published around the said time frame. To date, none of that was done. Horses take about six weeks minimum of training to get fit for the event, so what distances trainers are currently training for. I would add that the meet is being run under the rules of the promoter, who has a number of horses running in the various races, so there is no independent authority to represent the other owners. My final take [is that] we are witnessing an international Gymkhana with a big music festival in the evening. Please be reminded this stable has the record wins in the Guyana Cup of four to date.”

Probing why there is a lack of regulation and legislation in place to govern the sport, Elcock disclosed, “There are regulations in place for governing the sport of horse racing supervised by a body called the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. I served in every capacity over the years minus being the President. It’s a revamped Demerara Turf Club racing rules done by the late Marcel Crawford (SC) and registered at our law courts with over five private tracks including the government-owned facility Port Mourant Turf Club. They have all signed onto this document but for some strange reason, only two tracks are running races under the Guyana Horse Racing Authority rules and regulations. Most of the private tracks are not interested in horse racing legislation. So it results in cheating and confusion.”

As explained by Elcock, the resistance to implementing the established rules and regulations under the ambit of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority is an intentional act by private race tracks and organizers, who view this action as financially beneficial in their bid to create a successful meet.

He avowed, “My last paragraph indicated that cheating takes place. Tracks feel if they compromise the rules they will attract more entries. The organizers, on the other hand, tend to fool the sponsors that everything is above board when it’s blatant cheating with Horse’s age, names, class, etc. so their races could be deemed a success. There is no proper registration in place including Stud books and Mare return forms etc.”

Quizzed if the government via its various ministries, should be a financial sponsor of the competition given the lack of legislation in place, and the fact that the event is being coordinated privately and not under the auspices of the racing authority, he affirmed, “Based on the above, it would be a great embarrassment and could be deemed dishonest on the government and sports ministry side to be part of a private promotion with private questionable rules for taxpayers’ money to be used. That’s my opinion.”

Elcock declared that the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr should be applauded for his attempts to regulate and institute further legislation to administer the sport. He further noted that the implementation of sound legislation is the logical step forward in what is required to develop the sport.

“Credit must be given to the Minister of Sports, the Honourable Charles Ramson Jr to show this initiative in regulating horse racing in Guyana. Only through legislation owners and trainers could have a say in this sport moving forward. As the governing commission which will have full access to a board, [which] could be established to supervise the enacting of the legislation, with representatives from the Ministries that will be directly involved, civic society, horse owners, trainers, and regional bodies. The private tracks will then have to apply for affiliation and once they satisfy the requirements could join and run their [events] under supervision from stewards appointed from the Mother Club”, Elcock said.

 

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