Mauritius Turf & Allied News

23/06/2022

The Big Picture

It is a pity and a sad state of affairs that the big picture is not emerging.
Is it through ignorance or is it deliberate? All the parties concerned and all the stakeholders involved are perfectly aware that times have changed for good.
I failed to understand why we are crying about things which ought to have been changed and buried long time back. I pay tribute to all those who have maintained horseracing during the last 210 years. But was it not time to regulate the business of horseracing after the damning report initiated by Navin Ramgoolam.
A close look reveals that the whole system was controlled by members of a private club on a property owned by the State, i.e. the Champ de Mars, and all the infrastructure which have been built there come from the money earned from that land and business.
What have changed now? A new player, People’s Turf PLC (PTP), has come in with new investment, new experience and new vision. I do not understand why this initiative is not welcomed and encouraged. Since the last 3 editions, a fault finding game is on.
A lot of hurdles were put on the way for the newcomer. MTC decided not to cooperate and share its facilities. Out of nothing, during a few weeks, an alternative infrastructure was created at the Champ de Mars. I am sure that infrastructure will continue to improve and will be at least at par with that of MTC or even better.
The investor, Jean Michel Lee Shim, has too much at stake not to make sure that he creates a world class infrastructure.
I do not understand why there is so much opposition to his entry to this horseracing business. The main argument is that he does not have 210 years of experience of organizing the game. Experience matters just little in this digital age. The 210 years of experience comes from a colonial bygone era. Which explains why they could not move to reform themselves and bring in the required change in the light of recommendations of the Parry Report. They believed nobody can challenge their position.
They could not foresee that Pravin Jugnauth and the government have a new vision and have seen the economic potential of horseracing. Pravin Jugnauth announced in parliament that government is going to invest huge amount of money to create a new modern infrastructure at Côte d'Or with all amenities and other sports facilities. More than 165 arpents of land has been earmarked by Landscope and provisions have been made in the budget to start the project. Côte d'Or International Racecourse and Entertainment Complex Ltd has been created to invest and manage this business.
I am aware that all the ills of this business will not be addressed but still the whole system will be regulated. I expect less money laundering business, less frauds, less horserace fixing if any and a better atmosphere to prevail.
Time to wake up and face this new reality.

16/06/2022

MTCSL – PTP. Game Over?

It seems that a point of no return has been reached in relation to the activities of MTCSL and PTP. It is war, open war.
It is a sad state of affairs. Instead of peaceful coexistence and cooperation, it is dialogue of the deaf.
It is in the interest of both parties to acknowledge the existence of each other and look forward to develop horseracing at an international level.
During the last 210 years, MTC has just remained a private club. It is only when government decided to put order by creating the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) with its Horse Racing Division that MTC was forced to create the MTCSL. Even then MTC could not read between the lines and see the storm coming in the horizon.
It thought that its 210 years history will stand to provide it with eternal life - nobody else could have organized racing in Mauritius and create the required infrastructure. Besides it could not read the mind of the powers that they will not accept and tolerate any challenge to its authority. MTC persisted and exposed itself to a political agenda. Unacceptable to the government.
In the meantime, a credible challenger was getting ready to get into action in the person of Jean Michel Lee Shim. Jean Michel Lee Shim has created his own training race course at Gamin with a huge investment of more than 100 million rupees. He had also created a betting company, SMS Pariaz, and now he has got a full-fledged license to organize horse racing. In the beginning, it would have been ideal if MTCSL and PTP would have shared the facilities of MTC. Wrong calculation on behalf of MTC when it refused to have anything to do with the new arrival. MTC had also tried to dictate its own terms to government. It failed to do so.
Few people knew that the Champ de Mars race course belongs to the State and once MTC did not take its license in time, government cancelled its lease and allowed PTP to organize racing. MTCSL rushed to pay its license and then government decided that MTCSL and PTP will organize races alternatively. The first race event was organized by PTP. MTCSL refused any cooperation.
Out of nothing, a new structure was born in the middle of Champ de Mars and races took place. MTCSL also organized the second edition.
And PTP got a lease and a BLUP to create a full-fledged structure to accommodate all required facilities for a smooth running of the game. Of course there always exists some teething problems as it happened during the training session of PTP, but this is a non-event. This Saturday, everybody expects PTP to be better equipped.
In the meantime, all attempts for a reconciliation and dialogue seemed to fail. Even an experienced person like Mr. Gujudhur, who was expected to play a peacemaker has taken a stand

on principle. Unfortunate. Benoît Halbwachs, the gentleman secretary of MTC met Jean Michel Lee Shim but does not seem to have reached any positive meaningful outcome. PTP structureis growing fast in the middle of Champ de Mars.
The biggest loser is MTC. The value of all its physical assets has definitely gone down. On the other hand, MTCSL is heavily in debt, hardly in a position to retain and pay its employees’ salaries. SMS Pariaz has refused to continue paying the fees and has asked its excess payment to be adjusted.
Observers feel that until and unless it succeeds in reaching an agreement with Jean Michel Lee Shim, MTCSL is going to die a natural slow death. In fact, Mauritius needs an international race course as proposed by government at Cote d’Or. This will bring international events and place Mauritius on the map of world horse racing. Leisure activities in parallel could also be organized.

13/06/2022

Champ de Mars:- MTCSL v/s PTP

The last 2 weeks witnessed a duel between MTC Sports & Leisure Ltd (MTCSL) and People’s Turf PLC (PTP). According to observers, the winner was clearly PTP. It could not have been otherwise.
It is but natural that it was time, high time for the old order to give way to the new. MTCSL should consider itself lucky that government/ GRA has allowed it to continue still being in the race.
Mauritius Turf’s Club (MTC) glorifies itself on its history of 209 years to claim monopoly of running races in Mauritius. It has not kept itself with changing times. Mauritius is an independent country since 1968.
In fact, they have challenged the authorities publicly, not realizing that we are living in an era where new rules and regulations apply and the government and GRA is master of the game.
The position of MTCSL reminds me of our struggle for independence. Those who used to be the master of Champs de Mars were also those who mobilized 44% of the electorate to vote against independence. They nearly succeeded.
But at this moment, the government and GRA based on the findings on a commission setup by Navin Ramgoolam, decided to act. The findings were damning. All sorts of illegal activities were taking place at the races, particularly money laundering. Government and GRA decided to put order. MTCSL decided to oppose the government and GRA. People forget that MTC was just a private club, and for too long an exclusive club. The monopoly had to be broken. The old order has to give way to the new.
A new challenger to MTCSL was born. A powerful one. A capable one, offering better conditions to the owners of the horses. It was offered the opportunity to organize the first racing event of this season and it succeeded in doing so, in spite of the total non-coorporation and boycott of the MTC. They refused to share the facilities which they possess. They did not allow the trained personnel to work for the new company.
Still races took place, more horses participated, and more stables cooperated. The rest is history. Pravind Jugnauth and GRA deserves our appreciation for their bold step in standing against the so called powerful club. He dared do so. MTCSL has no option but to meet Michel Lee Shim, the new boss of racing in this country and work out a deal for their own survival.

27/05/2022

27/05/2022

FOOLS GOLD DÉSARÇONNE SONARAM APRÈS SON GALOP

Published: 25 May 2022

La séance d’entraînement de ce mercredi matin, où une douzaine de galops était au programme, a toutefois été marquée par la chute de Abhishek Sonaram après qu’il ait fait travailler Fools Gold.

Le nombre peu élevé de galops est dû au fait que, comme chaque mercredi, plusieurs Ecuries n’envoient pas leurs chevaux en piste, alors que d’autres s’y présentent uniquement pour se dégourdir les jambes.

Pratiquement la moitié de ceux au galop proviennent de l’Ecurie Maingard et ce sont Tsitsikamma Dance, Global Spectrum et Silver Heritage qui laissent la meilleure impression. Si le premier nommé travaille sur 600m, les deux autres s’exercent sur 1000m, à l’image des nouveaux Lock Down et Spotted Peart, botte-à-botte.

Des pensionnaires des autre Ecuries, on retient les bons chronos de Carolina Reaper, Etched In Blue et Creation.