“The advent of Sunday racing with the Offtrack Betting Parlours (OTBs) in support can only be good for the racing industry.”Those were the supportive words from president of the Jamaica Racehorse Owners Association (JROA) Laurence Heffes as Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) rolls out its super weekend of racing with programmes slated for tomorrow and Sunday.

This will mark the first occasion that the promoting company will be hosting races on Sunday with their OTBs open in tandem for business. In the past, race fans enjoyed several Sunday racedays, but betting was limited to those attending the racetrack located at Caymanas Park in Portmore, St Catherine. Although the OTBs have been open on Sundays over the last month, they have accommodated the simulcast of overseas races only.

“This is a good move, which I hope – and the signs are there – will aid the financial position of the promoting company. CTL, however, must understand that racing on Sundays cannot be an every week situation as our horse population cannot deal with racing on Saturdays, Wednesdays and Sundays,” said the JROA president, who is also a breeder and the operator of an OTB.

Heffes believes that while racing on Sunday will provide an added fillip for the industry, it will take time for the OTB operators to get accustomed to this new situation. He posited that workers in the OTBs will have to rearrange their schedules, leading possibly to the training of more individuals to operate the betting machines.

“There are going to be some hitches at the start, but I do not foresee major problems which cannot be ironed out. I want to open on Sunday,” Heffes said.