McKay settles wage deal for restive grooms

NEW YEAR’s Day sponsor, chief executive officer, Jason McKay of McKay Security, earlier this week said he agreed to intervene in the wage standoff between trainers and grooms at Caymanas Park because he wanted to ensure gains being made by new promoting company was not tarnished by industrial action.

Revelation that McKay played a key role in negotiating a new wage package for grooms was announced at a press conference to launch McKay Security New Year’s Raceday.

The deal, which saw grooms’ threehorse package move from $8,600 per week to $10,500, was struck with both trainers’ bodies, the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Association and the United Racehorse Trainers Association, headed by Vin Edwards and Ryan Darby, respectively.

“I want to thank Ryan Darby, Vin Edwards and grooms’ president, Fabian White, to ensure the peace and prosperity, which have existed for the nine months that Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited has been in charge, will continue long into the new year,” McKay said at the launch, which also detailed his company’s sponsorship of the 1820-metre McKay Security Trophy co-feature for $180,000 claimers running for a purse of $1 million.

Christopher Armond, director of racing, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, pointed out that McKay Security and local racing have become synonymous, pointing out that January will mark the 21st year that the firm has been at the racetrack.