Armond to quit Caymanas post

Orville Clarke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Chris Armond, acting CEO and director of marketing at Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), has resigned from the company to take up an appointment with the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Racing Authority next month.

Armond, who was appointed acting CEO in April of last year after the contract of Ryan White was not renewed, confirmed his resignation yesterday.

"Following discussions with the CTL Chairman Tony Hart on Wednesday, I handed in my letter of resignation at Thursday's board meeting", disclosed Armond, a third generation racing administrator following his late father, Joe Armond and grandfather, Altamont V. Armond.

Chris explained that he was offered a lucrative contract by the T&T Racing Authority at Santa Rosa Park.

"It was an offer I could not refuse and having worked closely with the Trinidadians from 1999 to 2001 as CEO of the Arima Race Club, before moving on to Barbados as CEO of the Barbados Turf Club for eight years, I felt knew the culture well enough to have another go at it", he said.

Armond said that the offer came about with the setting up of a steering committee by the T&T Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Cadiz in which his role will be technical advisor to the T & T Racing Authority, Arima Race Club as well as the Betting Levy Board.

"In my new capacity everyone will report to me and I'm looking forward to working closely with all the parties to enhance the racing product at Santa Rosa," added the 55-year-old czar of Caribbean racing.

His resignation from CTL takes effect on Saturday, February 19 and he will take up his new appointment in Trinidad shortly after.

A legendary racing commentator on radio in the old days, Armond has had a long association with the promoting company in various administrative capacities dating back to the late '70s when he was clerk of the course and racing secretary. He left in the early '80s to pursue a broadcasting career at Detroit race track, but when the government changed in 1989, he was brought back by the new chairman of CTL, Danny Melville, to head the marketing and promotions department. He stayed at the helm until April 1998 and presided over one of the most productive periods in the history of CTL.

Appointment

Following his adventures in T&T and Barbados, Armond was lured back to Jamaica in early 2009 as a director of CTL before his appointment as director of marketing and then acting CEO.

Reacting to his resignation, Raphael Gordon, acting chairman of CTL, expressed his appreciation on behalf of the board for his contribution in "very challenging" times.

"We wish him well and hopes he makes a success of it," said Gordon.

Meanwhile, the lightly-raced TREASURE GIRL sprinted clear of rivals leaving the quarter pole to win the feature Eight Thirty Sprint for native bred maiden three-year-old fillies over the straight by 8¹/² lengths.

Trained by Gary Subratie for the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Owners' Association, Baskaran Bassawh, who flew in for the race, the bay filly by Golden Gear out of Teresa Belle won as the 1-2 favourite with Shane Ellis aboard.