Joseph A. Matalon - file

A more than four-hour meeting involving the main stakeholders of local racing and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Horace Dalley, failed to fully resolve all the problems which have dogged the industry in recent days.

Joseph A. Matalon, the chairman of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), the promoters of local racing, will meet with the licensed bookmakers today in a bid to ensure the resumption of racing at Caymanas Park tomorrow. He said he was optimistic that certain conditions will be met.

Matalon was among stakeholders who gathered at a sometimes stormy meeting at Heroes Circle yesterday.

The meeting was arranged by the Minister after disgruntled stakeholders (owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, breeders, farriers and off-track betting parlours (OTB) associations) took protest action at Caymanas Park on Saturday over CTL's rights fee issue with the bookmakers. The day's ten-race meet was abandoned.

"I will be negotiating with the bookmakers tomorrow and looking ahead, we have some work to do. But I am optimistic we can find common ground and I'm really optimistic", said Matalon.

Dalley said consensus was reached at the meeting that the status quo would remain, but he had every confidence that all stakeholders, including the bookmakers, will have the matter resolved at a proposed summit in two week's time.

Horace Dalley

"We can't roll back the fees that were imposed, but there is room for discussion on the way forward", said Minister Dalley, who was quick to add that the licensed bookmakers have appealed the hike in right fees as recommended by the Muir Mediation Report.

The rise in the rights fees to seven percent, effective from January, will remain but an undertaking was given that the retroactive clause will be renegotiated.

Among those present at the meeting were CTL director Andrew Azar, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association president Howard Hamilton along with Laurence Heffes, president of the Jamaica Racehorse Owners' Association; Vin Edwards, president of the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers' Association; Richie Todd, president of the United Trainers' Association, Du'von Litchnore, president of the Jockeys' Guild; Errol Thomas, president of the Grooms' Association; Garfield Reid, president of the Farriers Association and Barbara Boreland Williams, president of the OTB Association, as well as the CEO of CTL, Franz Jobson.