Racing commission ratifies new URTAJ president
Published:Thursday | February 10, 2022 | 12:10 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
THE JAMAICA Racing Commission (JRC) says it has now officially recognised the Patrick Smellie-led administration as the new executive body of the United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica (URTAJ).
The JRC said in a media release that it made its decision after examining the UTRAJ’s constitution surrounding events leading up to the elections on January 18 and after receiving legal advice from attorney at law Garth McBean Q.C.
Smellie was elected as the new president after defeating Dale Murphy 41-8 from a total of 51 trainers’ votes.
However, Ryan Darby, who has been the president of URTAJ since 2017, had dismissed Smellie’s claims that he was duly elected as the head of the organisation.
Darby told The Gleaner in an interview on January 19 that he had no knowledge of the elections and, therefore, his association’s executive remained intact ahead of properly constituted elections this month.
CLAUSE 12
However, the JRC stated that Clause 12 of the constitution states: “Special meetings of the members may be called by the president or the secretary of the Association or upon the written request of any three members of the executive committee or by any financial members.”
However, when contacted yesterday, Darby said that he would not be commenting on the matter.
Smellie said he was delighted with the decision.
“We had a duly and properly contested election last month, and now that the JRC has ratified us, the work has started now,” said Smellie.
“We want to get all of the trainers to be united, and that is the first thing because we have tensions that we need to look about and also have to go back to the table with Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited,” he said.
The other members of the Smellie-led executive are Murphy, first vice-president, with Maurice Crooks the second vice-president and Richards Phillips as the third vice-president.
Crooks was also elected treasurer. The administration’s executive members are Michael Beecham, Vincent Atkinson, Patrick Lynch, and David Powell.