In a further twist to the frustrations facing Mauritius horseracing stakeholders, it was announced on Friday that the Indian Ocean Island’s Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning has granted the control and maintenance of the Champ de Mars property to the Côte d’Or International Racecourse and Entertainment Complex Ltd.
The company was registered by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development with the Registrar of Companies on Friday 29 April.
In a statement on Friday 20 May, the Ministry of Housing state that Côte-d’Or International Racecourse and Entertainment Complex Ltd has been granted the control and maintenance of the State Land known as Champs de Mars.
The company has invited tenders from prospective local Horse-racing organisers for the use of the Champ de Mars, particularly the racetrack, for organising horse-racing activities.
Applications close at 16h00 on Tuesday 24 May.
In April the City Council of Port Louis issued a notice terminating the lease of the Mauritius Turf Club’s use of the state-owned land on which the Champ de Mars racecourse is situated.
The Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) was informed that it currently does not hold a licence issued by the Gambling Regulatory Authority as a horse racing operator, and the underlying purpose of the lease agreement, which was signed on 2 July 2005 between the MTC and the government, for the use of the property housing the Port Louis racecourse, could thus not be legally fulfilled.
