In what has been a torrid start to 2022 for the Mauritius Turf Club, master time ticks on relentlessly with the prospects of a start to the new racing season still uncertain.
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.
On Friday, the MTC issued a statement that they have submitted all the documents and ‘clarifications’ requested by the authorities in order to be re-allocated the race organizer license.
We have also done what is necessary, and on many occasions, for the payment of this licence to be accepted.
They wrote:
We are now awaiting a response from the Ministry of Housing and Lands for the use of the Champ de Mars.
At the time of writing, we have no official reason to believe that this licence will not be granted to MTCSL.
However, it is imperative that it be done as soon as possible.
The previous month had caused enormous concern for the MTCSL and its employees, since depriving us of the opportunity to hold racemeetings places us in a situation extremely precarious economy.
We really don’t want to find ourselves in a similar stressful situation this month. In the event that this licence is not granted to us this week, then we will have no alternative but to make drastic decisions.
We are convinced that common sense will prevail in the interest of all, employees engaged, grooms, trainers, support services – in short the big family Mauritian racing family so that we can continue to enjoy this national sport and this beautiful heritage that has existed for over 200 years.
