Crawford prepared for Caricom Day horse racing meet

By Timothy Jaikarran

The highly anticipated Crawford Memorial Turf Club’s (CMTC’s) Caricom Day Meet will kick off on Sunday at the club’s sporting facility at Alness Village on the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice.

Club President Marcel Crawford Junior believes the races will be run off successfully despite the current inclement weather being a negative factor for horse racing.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, he was asked how things have been going leading up to the event; and Crawford responded, “For the event, we are asking for a violence-free day, as (violence) would disrupt the flow of events. This Caricom event promises to be an exciting one, as the three-year-old and two-year-old races will definitely bring the heat.
“My horse Orion got whipped the last time after returning from injury, but I’m hoping this time that we can take this event as a training ground leading up to the Guyana Cup.
“In terms of the weather, we are hoping that it will hold its hands and allow us to run off a successful event. The last event we had was postponed for almost one month due to the weather. But preparations are coming along nicely, and the event promises to be a packed day, full of action.”
Crawford has said he remains positive that more sponsors will come on board, as horse racing as a sport is growing in Guyana. He noted that the presence of more sponsors on board would cause the sport to expand exponentially, but said he is more focused on pushing for legislation that would allow international horses to compete in Guyana.
He related that it has always been his goal to continue his father’s legacy and push for the legislation to be passed, since he knows that Guyana can develop into one of the world’s prime spots for horse racing.
Crawford relayed that with the influx of foreigners in the country, the CMTC is hoping for foreign investors to come on board, since he is working towards taking the Crawford stables to an international standard, which also includes providing blood testing for doping in the animals.
Some of the sponsors on board for this event thus far are Colin Elcock, Banks DIH, Jumbo Jet, Attorney-at-Law Poonai of Georgetown, Guy Hookumchand, Annirude Construction, Fazal Habibulla, Poonai Pharmacy at Rose Hall Town, and NTN Studios.
Persons desiring further information are invited to contact Marcel Crawford Jr on 678-5342 or 696-9009.