The just concluded first racing season of the Barbados Turf Club (BTC) for 2011 was one some would want to quickly put behind them.
Filled with drama of one sort or the other, it finally climaxed last Saturday with racing somewhat off the pace.
This came after the BTC had apparently recovered somewhat from the blow caused last October by Tropical Storm Tomas.
Tomas not only uprooted trees and homes in Barbados but removed the roof from the stands of the horse racing facility at the Garrison Savannah, exposing the club’s offices to all the elements.
Still, the BTC made a bold decision to go ahead with the third season of 2010 – a decision which in all fairness produced favourable results.
To have completed that season in makeshift surroundings took a herculean effort from the club’s administration and the BTC ought to be commended for an excellent job. On that note, one would have hoped for things to run more smoothly in the new season this year, but it was not to be.
The first race day of 2011 ushered in a few teething problems that led to grumbling and finger pointing among the core body of the BTC. This eventually spilled over to the public.
Without a roof over their heads, patrons were asked to pay an entrance fee of $10. Fans also had to endure watching and playing the races from a declaration sheet as the customary race day books were not available.
The following race days all had problems, as owners, trainers and the administration were at loggerheads trying to find the way forward while trying to minimise the glaring problems.
With the smoke billowing from Day 1, it was perhaps not surprising that fire followed as the hunt for gold intensified. To the relief of the public, a new roof was erected over the popular Grand Stand in time for Gold Cup week. However, the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, the Caribbean’s premier horse racing event, was embroiled in controversy.
The dispute surrounded the participation of the representatives from St Kitts, who were taking part in the event for the first time.
After months of nominations, and with the payment of subs and all racing criteria met, an objection was brought by two well-known and respected powerhouses in racing – Sir David Seale and Canadian businessman Eugene Melnyck – surrounding the participation of the horses from St Kitts.
After a hearing, the four course stewards ruled in favour of the Kittitians’ participation. This decision did not sit well with the appellants and further legal action was sought as both parties hired high-profile attorneys to fight their cases.
Thankfully, an amicable agreement was reached, allowing the Kittians to compete and the 30th Gold Cup – the 15th under the sponsorship of Sandy Lane – went full steam ahead. Before thousands of passionate race fans at the track, the Lord Michael Taylor-owned colt Show Me The Money crossed the line first.
Much to the amazement of the Blue Diamonds Stables fans, no sooner had the celebration begun than the enquiry light burned brightly on the board.
An objection was lodged by the connections of the unplaced Apostle against the winner for alleged interference. The objection was upheld and the results amended.
Show Me The Money was disqualified, and the race awarded to Zoom – which had crossed the line second – much to the delight of the contingent from Springhead Farm.
Despite the manner of the victory, it was a tremendous achievement for the team of owner Gay Smith, trainer Edward Walcott Jr, and jockey Antonio Bishop. They became the first in racing history to win the Gold Cup and the Tanglewood Stakes & Trophy with the same horse – another plus for the local breeding industry.
The controversy didn’t end there, as the connections of Show Me The Money exercised their option to appeal the amended results. But after further review and consideration the stewards saw no reason to overturn the same.
Normalcy then resumed and races ran without much fuss.
Indeed, the season closed out on an entertaining and encouraging note with two future stars entering the winners’ enclosure – Daga, an imported filly owned by Lord Michael Taylor, and Slip Stream, a filly owned by Sir Charles Williams.
Hopefully, the BTC administration will get its act together. Hopefully, competition will stay out of the offices, board rooms and lawyers’ hands.
This would allow for the poetry in motion of these equine athletes to continually grace and thrill the minds of all horse lovers in the upcoming second season.
