The Board of Administrators of the Mauritius Turf Club have rejected former jockey Simon Jones’s application for a trainers licence.
This follows the GRA’s directive to reduce the number of race meetings, which in turn prompted the MTC not to grant new trainers’ licences.
Jones rode for many years for the Guy Fok Stable and is well known in local racing circles.
After handing in his jockey licence, Jones worked as assistant trainer to Patrick Merven, Raj Ramdin and Budheswar Gujadhur (Paul Foo Kune Stable).
He is married to a Mauritian and was recently granted Mauritian nationality.
A spokesman for the Mauritius Turf Club told the Sporting Post that the fact that the government had only granted authority for 35 race meetings, and due to general financial constraints, had prompted them not to grant any new licences.
In another move, no owner will be allowed to have horses in the care of more than two trainers, while the MTC has decided to allow the number of owners leading in a winning horse from five to six.
