BISSOON: Wilberforce- (Retired School Principal) formerly of #593 Kathleen Crescent, Block 4 Palmiste, San Fernando died peacefully on Monday 9th June, 2014 at the age of 81. He was the Son of: the late Charles and Ena (nee Mulchansingh) Bissoon. Brother of: Kenrick Bissoon, Cynthia Smith, Myrtle Bissoon ? Singh, the late Joseph and Ivan Bissoon. Uncle of: Marsha, Marc, Dearest Melisa-Sue, Brandon, Sigmund, Richmond, Michelle, Allison and Charles. Brother in law of: Dr. Alan Smith, Vanerah Bissoon, Pearly Bissoon and Franklin Singh. Relative of: the Mulchansingh, Samuel, Loutan and Gazee Families. The funeral service for the late Wilberforce Bissoon takes place at 3:30p.m. on Friday 13th June, 2014 at Belgroves Prayer Room, #107- 109 Coffee Street, San Fernando follow by Cremation at Belgroves Crematorium, #107-109 Coffee Street, San Fernando @ 5.00pm. Enquiries can be made at Belgroves Funeral Home at 223- 2178.

RAMLAL: DEONARINE 06 LP73 Munroe road Cunupia died on 10/06/2014. He was the loving Husband of Sunia. Devoted Father of Anuradha, ravi, Gaitri, Shanta and Varsha. Father in Law of Ravi, kungebeharry & Nikita. Brother of Margaret, tackoon, Chankar, Bridgemohan, Chandra, Kaloutie, Liloutie (Aya) and the late (Raj and Rukay). Funeral of the late Deonarine Ramlal takes place on Friday 13th June 2014 from the H.O.M thence to the Waterloo cremation site according to Hindu Rites.

SOOKROO: Sona also known as Mom, died on Tuesday 10thJune, 2014 at the age of 87. Widow of Seebaran Sookroo, Mother of Ramdeo (Son Son), Chandradaye (Girly), Annandy (Nandy) Jaideo (Jai), Radica (deceased) and Sherine, Motherin- Law of Persad (Doya), Sookram (Dan), Gerrard, Maureen and Meena. Grandmother of 19, Great Grandmother of 12 and Great Great Grandmother of 2. Funeral at 9:00 am on Friday 13th June 2014 At Clark and Battoo's Chapel, 11 Tragarete Road, Port of Spain, thence to the Cinerary, Long Circular Road, St. James at 11:00 am. No flowers by request. For enquiries, call C&B 625-1170

A man who is serving at least 40 years for the brutal killings of three people shocked court officials yesterday when he threw a packet of marijuana at a presiding magistrate.

Convicted killer Lester Pitman was subdued by police after the incident, around 10.10 am, in the Port-of-Spain Fifth Court.

Escorted to court yesterday by a prison officer, Pitman reappeared on a robbery charge dating back to August 1999. He complained about his attorney's failure to visit him at the Golden Grove Prison, Arouca, claiming he was denied an opportunity to proper representation.

Pitman complained that Legal Aid-appointed attorney Darryl Worrell failed to visit him in prison to take instructions on the case, hence his frustration.

As the case was called, Pitman pre-empted Magistrate Aden Stroude, saying that he would represent himself. He was cautioned about his demeanour and decorum after he interrupted Stroude several times.

After hearing from Pitman he had not spoken to Worrell, Stroude advised Pitman to take some time and talk to his lawyer, following which the matter would be recalled.

Responding to that suggestion, Pitman replied: “I doh business.”

Stroude warned him that his disrespect would not be tolerated but Pitman continued to speak over him, demanding that another attorney should be appointed for him.

As Stroude ordered Pitman taken downstairs to cool off and return when he was ready to talk and listen, Pitman raised his voice and again said: “I doh business ‘bout dat, boy.”

As he spoke, Pitman reached into his right front pocket and pulled out a clear packet with marijuana and threw it in Stroude's direction, saying: “That's yours, you could smoke that.”

The packet landed at the feet of another attorney seated at the bench.

Police, led by Sgt Henderson Andrews, retrieved the packet and led Pitman out of the court. No other items were found on him when he was searched after the incident.

When the matter was recalled shortly before noon, Worrell admitted he had been unable to meet with Pitman because of other cases. 

Pitman was charged with armed robbery after an incident on August 3, 1999, at Bushe Street, San Juan, during which he allegedly robbed a couple of $125 as they were selling ice-cream. 

Stroude later adjourned that matter to July 3.

Fresh charges 

After yesterday's incident, Pitman was charged by PC Bheepath of the Court and Process Branch with possession of four grammes of marijuana and wilfully interrupting the proceedings of the Fifth Court.

Appearing unrepresented before Magistrate Cheron Raphael in the 11th Court, Pitman pleaded not guilty.

On the issue of bail, Pitman said: “It won't make sense. I am waiting on this matter as I appeal it in England.” Pitman has appealed the 40-year sentence imposed by the Appeal Court and is awaiting the outcome of that case. 

He will also reappear before the 10th Court on July 3 in relation to the latest charges.

Are prisoners searched?

Police yesterday expressed shock over the incident as they tried to find out from where Pitman got the drugs.

They were unable to provide any explanation, except to say that prisoners brought to court by prisons officers were not searched by court and process police as they were under the care and control of prison officers who were responsible for searching them before bringing them to the court.

A senior officer said yesterday’s incident would result in new procedures having to be implemented to ensure the safety of court officials, staff, police and prison officers and the civilian public.

The Cropper murders

Pitman was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to hang in 2005 for the murders on December 11, 2001 in Cascade of Maggie Lee, Lynette Pearson and John Cropper. 

After an appeal, heard by Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Justices of Appeal Paula Mae Weekes and Alice Yorke Soo Hon, Pitman's sentence was commuted to life in December 2013, with Archie ordering that Pitman serve a minimum of 40 years in prison.

As he had spent more than five years in custody after his conviction, Archie's decision followed the guideline from the case of Pratt and Morgan, which prohibits the State from executing a prisoner who has been on death row for five years or more after being convicted.

San Fernando police are investigating the assault of a six-year-old girl who was repeatedly raped for three years by her grandfather.

Two weeks ago, the 54-year-old Pleasantville man allegedly raped the girl at their home, where they live with the child’s great-grandparents. When police visited the house yesterday, the suspect could not be found.

The child was left in the care of her grandfather and great-grandparents for more than a year after the mother’s common-law husband had taken issue with the child living at his home.

Police were told the unemployed mother, who is in her mid-20s and has two other daughters, reported the incident two weeks ago after the child complained to her. 

The girl was taken to a health centre where she was examined by a medical officer who confirmed she had been sexually assaulted.

National footballer Marvin Phillip knelt in the church where his son was christened four months ago, holding onto the infant’s small coffin, unwilling to say goodbye to the child described by many as loving and mischievous.

Phillip’s ten-month-old son, Matai Phillip, who died on June 6 from positional asphyxiation after being placed in a car seat at his day care, was laid to rest yesterday after a service at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Gasparillo.

The child was dropped off at the Anointed Angels day care at Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas, at around 6.15 am last Friday. 

About an hour later, the family was told the infant had been taken to the Chaguanas District Hospital. When the family got to the hospital, the child was already dead. 

At one point during the service, relatives had to restrain Phillip, who tried to pick up the child from the coffin. The child’s mother, Leslie Hall, could be heard throughout the service crying out for her only child. 

“My baby! Oh god, not Tai, why my baby?” she asked.

When the tiny white coffin bearing Matai’s body was carried out of the church and to the cemetery opposite, Hall also had to be restrained as she attempted to run after the coffin. Little could be done to console her as she held onto her father and pleaded: “Daddy, please don’t let them take my baby.”

A white and orange football T-shirt Phillip had bought for his son before he left for Argentina to play a friendly with the host nation on June 4 was placed in the coffin alongside the child’s tiny body. 

In the eulogy given by two of baby Matai’s aunts — Krystal Jack and Sharon Santana — he was described as adventurous, loving and the light of his family. They said that the only thing that bothered the child was when he was hungry.

“Matai was the most quiet child. You would only know it have a baby in the house if he was hungry,” said his aunts. “Matai was what the old folks referred to as a sweetbread.”

They added that even though Matai’s life was short-lived, he fulfilled his purpose in bringing happiness to the lives of those who loved him. 

“He was the light of his parents’ lives and he touched the lives of everyone who knew him with his sweetness and innocence,” they said.

Fr Allan Hall, parish priest of Tortuga, told the child’s parents Matai was making his mischief in heaven.

He praised the child’s mother for giving her child a strong foundation in the church as she would attend service with the baby every Sunday, despite his age. 

Hall said a strong religious foundation was what most youths in today’s society were lacking. He urged parents to try to bring their children back from delinquency as, he added, T&T’s youths had already gone astray. 

The report of the independent committee which investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of infant Simeon Cottle has alluded to negligence by medical practitioners.

It also recommended that the Medical Council of the Medical Board of T&T deal with disciplinary action for the doctor involved.

This was revealed by Health Minister Fuad Khan yesterday as he spoke to reporters following an orientation ceremony for foreign health care professionals working in T&T from this week.

Simeon died on March 1 after his head was sliced open when his mother Quelly Ann Cottle underwent a Caesarean section at Mt Hope Women’s Hospital.

The doctor, Javed Chinnia, who performed the surgery, was suspended with pay.

An independent committee, chaired by retired Justice of Appeal Mustapha Ibrahim and including United Kingdom specialist Dr Melanie Davies and retired neo-natologist Manning-Alleyne, were appointed by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to investigate Simeon’s death.

Khan, who met with the council yesterday, said he had read the recommendations of the report and was looking at implementing them.

He said the recommendation for disciplinary action, however, would need to be carried out by the Medical Council.

“A lot of the recommendations went into neo-natal care and the report suggested that consultants should have a greater presence during deliveries,” Khan said. He hoped the council would be able to set up a tribunal for disciplinary action and have the matter closed as soon as possible and said it might be possible for it to be settled in two weeks. Khan added: “One of the recommendations made was for the council to take action and set up a tribunal.

“They (the report) spoke a little about legal aspects and possibility of medical mishaps and alluded to negligence and medical malpractice based on certain legal opinions.”

He said that negligence would need to be proven in a court of law.

He said once the tribunal was complete, if disciplinary action was decided upon it could vary from anything to the doctor losing his licence to practise but added that the latter was extreme. Khan said the other recommendations coming out of the report were relatively easy to act on. He noted the need for a neo-natologist and other improved systems in the hospitals. Quelly-Ann, Simeon’s mother, said up until yesterday no one had contacted her to giver her any information from the report.

An experiment designed by a group of Northgate College students will be launched into space, after the school copped a top award in the global Cubes In Space contest. 

The NorthGate College students' experiment, along with the others from around the world, will be launched into space via a sounding rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Viriginia, USA on June 26th.

Visit the Cubes In Space website to watch the rocket launch on June 26th, 2014 through the live feed.

Cubes in Space is a no-cost global design competition for students aged 11-14 years old to develop experiments for launch into space.

"The team from Northgate College took to heart the goals of the program", said Amber Agee-DeHart, Founder of the Cubes In Space program. "The goals of the Cubes in Space program are to show students the interconnections between STEM concepts and to teach students to become analytical and effective thinkers. The team from Northgate College captured those ideas with their experiment "Ionization Investigation".

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines—science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"Being part of such an exciting global educational program is very fulfilling to us," said Nicholas Andrews, Managing Director of The MPAC Group, London. "Nurturing the young minds of the future with programs like Cubes In Space helps build the business and scientific leaders of tomorrow."

"It was an intense, but absolutely enjoyable experience for Northgate College. We have always encouraged our students to think beyond the curriculum. The Cubes in Space program presented a wonderful opportunity for us to witness this in action as the teamwork, creativity and excellence we encourage all our students to pursue, was on full display", said Dr. Noel Woodroffe, Chairman and Founder of Northgate College.

"This is indeed a proud moment for our Northgate College family across the world."

The Cubes In Space program is a partnership between Rubik Learning Initiative, idoodlesoftware, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium's RockSat-C program and supported by the Sounding Rocket Program Office at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.  Idoodlesoftware is an education software company offering innovative solutions to bridge the gap between traditional and digital learning.

With effect from July 1, the Trade Licence Unit (TLU) of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications (MTIIC) will only accept electronic applications via TTBizLink (www.ttbizlink.gov.tt) for import/export licences if the total consignment/customs value is more than $20,000. A notice from the ministry yesterday said this is in keeping with Government’s objective to enhance the trade facilitation environment  by reducing the steps in the customs clearance process.

The notice states: “Any importer/exporter seeking to clear goods which require an import/export licence from the Trade Licence Unit of the MTIIC with a consignment value in excess of shall therefore only be able to utilise an electronic licence in order to complete an e-C82 Customs Declaration in the Customs Border Control System (ASYCUDA) operated by the Customs and Excise Division. 

“Persons currently holding import/export licences with the above consignment value, which were not generated electronically through TTBizLink will not be able to use same to complete an e-C82 Customs Declaration after Monday 30 June, 2014.  These persons are required to reapply using TTBizlink.” More information is available at www.ttbizlink.gov.tt, or call 800-4739.

Members of the business community yesterday reported an improvement in the supply of foreign exchange following several weeks of problems. Representatives of the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA), Supermarkets’ Association of T&T, T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce and other business groups gave that positive update yesterday after meeting with Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran and Larry Nath, president of the Bankers Association of T&T (BATT) yesterday.

However, TTMA CEO Ramesh Ramdeen said although the group has been given the assurance of relief, his members will continue to monitor the situation. “The framework, that they have given us, the assurance they are putting in place, tells us that we should expect some level of normalcy before the end of this month,” he said. Last Friday, members of the business community voiced concerns about the supply of US foreign currency saying they were not pleased with the supply on the market. Rambarran and Nath had said then that the supply would improve by the end of June. Ramdeen said he has been meeting with TTMA who indicated that the supply of US foreign currency had returned to normal. “They no longer have to go to three and four and five banks to get money, it is not back to 100 per cent at this point in time, but as I said the framework that is in place gives us the assurance that before the end of the month, we think that things will normalise.”

Ramdeen said the TTMA will be monitoring the situation closely. “We are going to track it, we are not going to take the word of the Governor and Mr Nath wholesale. We are going to continue to track it from our end, examine what is happening on the market,” he said. Gregory Aboud, president of the Downtown Owners’ and Merchants Association said his members felt “encouraged” by Nath’s remarks about the supply of US foreign currency. “I believe Mr Nath has addressed the questions which have been circulating and the doubts and fears which have been so prevalent. Perhaps the most profound thing which was said by Mr Nath was that there was no need for substantiation or documentation for payment and this was an open free market and that all needs would be met. “This is a necessary statement and we are extremely grateful for the comments and we are waiting to experience the relief which was promised,” Aboud said.

Yet another stumbling block in the fight against crime is the extent to which the issue has been politicised, and too often degenerates into finger-pointing rather than a concerted effort to plan a multi-faceted, long-term and logical approach to restoring law and order.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s “unleash the dogs of war” comment at the official opening of the new Piarco Police Station on Wednesday adds to the long list of knee-jerk statements that serve only to highlight how far off the mark the authorities are in tackling the crime problem. It fails to address the extent of the challenges confronting every citizen in the face of unrelenting violence, and bloodshed, driven by the gang culture that has been allowed to become deeply embedded in communities across the country.

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Who says Trinidadian children are unwanted? Right this minute, half our police force is out looking for Trinidad’s Most Wanted Child, whichever ten- or 11- or 14- or 15-year-old murderer killed nine-year-old Jadel Holder and his 15-year-old brother, Jamal Braithwaite; and, whatever else you might say about whoever put a nine-year-old child to lie face down in his own home and put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger, Jadel Holder’s killers clearly really, really wanted him; even if they only wanted him dead. 

And there’s every reason to believe—or at least one newspaper story to base any wildly invented allegation on—that the killer could well have been another child. No one should believe everything you read but we all want to believe this one: we would prefer it to be another child. It makes it easier on us, as adults; it’s like how we pretend it’s less barbaric, a more minor murder, somehow, if someone is shot dead in their own driveway or chopped to pieces in their own bed if we find out it’s the husband or wife who ordered the hit. (Don’t think about the actual “ordering the hit”; that doesn’t scan.)

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Fools and despots seek war to solve problems. My clan kills members of your clan. Your clan responds with a shower of bullets upon my clan. In a see-saw cycle of death we go at it, inching, never nearer to a decisive victory. As time wears on, our weapon contractors’ bank balances swell from the income we waste buying their technologies of death to kill each other. Weapons and technologies of destruction makers prosper as we replenish stock from them and our clan members die.

Slowly, it dawns on each of us that our clans are dwindling in number from this foolish orchestrated war. Mothers, fathers, kids and other kinfolk from both our clans are falling victims to the “war.” Suddenly, it dawns on us, we have been alive for 20, 30, 40 years but never lived one month, one week in peace. We have never lived free of this insane aggression. This war has forced both our clans to know the cemetery all too intimately.

Sarah Parks,
via e-mail

How inflexible and uncompromising those in authority can be. The exclusion of Sunil Narine from the Test series against New Zealand may not be a conundrum after all, but another sad example of the authoritarian streak and mind-set that continues to affect the governance of the game in our region. Here is a West Indian player who has excelled at the sport. He is rated as one of the best spinners in the world and is playing in what is now the most popular and viable cricket league, where all the world’s premier players ply their trade. He had earned the opportunity to play in what was now the most watched cricket final on the planet. Through consistent performance, he, more than established fellow West Indians like Gayle and Pollard, had perhaps done the most in the 2014 IPL to keep the West Indian flag flying high.

And so what do our cricketing authorities do? Rather than finding a way to understand his quandary, rather than supporting him, we find a way to punish him and in the process shoot ourselves in the foot. At this juncture, where we remain at the bottom of the ICC rankings, we should be exerting every effort to give our newly appointed captain the best possible team, striving to use every resource at our disposal to give Ramdin our best possible 11 as he assumes the weighty responsibility of captaincy, with the goal of returning West Indies cricket to the top. But it appears that we do not fully appreciate what winning and getting back to the top means. Cricket is the one institution that has done us proud and cemented our identity as a West Indian people. To this we are indebted first and foremost to our players and the remarkable talent that took us to the top in the 80s and 90s. 

While it is debatable how soon we might get back to the top, what is not debatable is that if our governance of cricket does not rise to what is required today, then we will continue to languish at the bottom. West Indies dominance of the game in the 80s and 90s was partly due to the huge reservoir of raw talent that we had access to. But it was also due to the leadership of Clive Lloyd and the fact that the nucleus of his team was able to develop and hone their skills in England, where many of them held professional contracts. With the advent of the IPL, Sunil Narine has developed as a world-class spinner second to none. It is the IPL arena which has allowed him to grow and mature, bowling against the world’s premier batsmen in high-pressure situations. While I fully support every effort by the new administration to take us back to the top—the inclusion of former Test stars in the current preparation camp is commendable but long overdue—I wonder whether for Narine it was a case of “my way or the highway,” an authoritarian streak in which basic common sense was lost.

There is simply no room for the type of inflexibility shown towards Narine. Instead, there must be room for empathy and understanding. The new policy must also be firmly grounded in the realities of the 21st century. Here is a humble and unassuming young man who from all expert accounts has been simply brilliant in the 2014 IPL and the lead-up to the final on June 1. He carried the team to the finals being called time and again by his captain to bowl the so-called “death overs,” and on each occasion, he delivered. Any West Indian at home and abroad who followed the IPL would have similarly heard every single commentator from every corner of the globe extolling Narine’s brilliance in every game. Yet, sadly, our own administrators could not find a way to understand the player’s wish to play in the IPL final and also participate in the camp.  

I wonder what the communication might have been with Narine in the lead-up to the training camp. Was he given an ultimatum? Were there any genuine efforts made to reach out to him, knowing the pivotal role he played all season long in Kolkata’s rise to the top? Was there any understanding of the predicament he faced?  So thank you, Minister Anil Roberts, for fighting the good fight and for pointing out that Narine’s choice was not a flouting of the “West Indian first” policy. Indeed, your assertions are spot on. By playing in the IPL final on June 1, Narine might have been better prepared than his WI peers for the Test series as he would have been playing at the highest competitive level. But this is not just a T&T thing. For it could have happened to any other West Indian player. 

And so this is what prompted me to put pen to paper. For I felt that we are punishing a player who is not deserving of this type of treatment. He has achieved global recognition as a West Indian and it is therefore our duty to support him. Surely, this situation could have been better managed, and could still be resolved in the best interests of the player and of West Indies cricket. No player who has been an outstanding ambassador for the sport, and who has achieved the highest standards of excellence, should be penalised for this. After all, Narine’s heroes are Muralitharan and Lara—two of the world’s best—which tells you something about the young man. He strives for excellence. A way could still be found out of this impasse. But if it isn’t, it will confirm the sense among many of us who believe that we are still dealing with a mind-set and a set of management tools that are wholly unsuitable for managing WI cricket and taking it to the levels required for success in the 21st century.  Rajiv Ramlal is a former T&T Foreign Service officer currently serving as a senior officer on management in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations, New York.

Rajiv Ramlal

We are at the mid-way point of the year of promise, success and true happiness. A lot can be said about 2013 to justify what we are seeing today, but let us not dwell in the past. We are here to talk about 2014. What can be said? More lies, deaths and corruption are unveiled on a daily basis. I am a genuine supporter of Kamla Persad-Bissesar and all her efforts to improve the standard of living in our great nation, but I now realise that she can’t do it by herself. One would think that it would be safe to say that her Cabinet would lend support and work relentlessly to get this country back on the horse of success. Well today one would have wasted many thoughts in thinking so. 

I think it is unfair that our beloved Prime Minister has to play principal in the schoolyard every other month to groups of highly educated and experienced intellects. I am not here to judge or list what fills the media on a daily basis. The thing is, do we try to fix this or do we play the blame game and condone the sneaky, dirty politics that political forces have engaged in? We all need to take a look at ourselves and really look beyond the tomfoolery and shenanigans and make a decision on how we move forward. I am of the firm belief that if another administration comes in to power in 2015, dog days are ahead.

Ashton Maharaj,
via e-mail

Wind is the renewable energy source getting active consideration as Government moves toward lower carbon options for electricity generation. Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine said a Wind Resource Assessment Programme is soon to be launched across the country.

He made the announcement in his address at an IDB conference on Natural Gas in the Caribbean at the Hyatt Regency in Miami.

“Given that we in Trinidad and Tobago now generate 100 per cent of our electricity from natural gas it is expected that our next evolution would be towards a lower carbon option. That for us means wind resource and wind is abundant on our country’s east coast,” the minister said.

Ramnarine said a Carbon Reduction Strategy Task Force has been established under the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to develop a draft National Carbon Education Strategy focused on the transportation, industrial and power generation sectors.

Earlier, the minister said imporrts of fuel oil or diesel for power generation had negatively affected current accounts, balance of payments and levels of debt across the Caribbean. He warned that if that “energy status quo” did not change, the region’s debt burden would get heavier.

“The high price of oil products leads to high energy costs in the region, which slows economic growth and hurts competitiveness. The high price of oil is not going to go away anytime soon,” he said.

According to Ramnarine, the current relationship between the Caribbean and energy was not sustainable and has “set in train a vicious cycle—oil consumption, increasing debt levels, impact on growth of loss of competitiveness.
 He said the way forward was through collaboration and collective action.

“The region has to diversify itself away from liquid fuels and towards natural gas and where economically feasible renewable energy,” Ramnarine said.

He added that the region must, as soon as possible, make a significant conversion of installed power generation capacity to natural gas or renewable energy.

The Office of the Prime Minister has released the letter which Sport Minister Anil Roberts sent to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on June 10 about a video that went viral of a man resembling him handling something that looked like marijuana.

Click the link to get the letter. http://tinyurl.com/o3gz9sg

The Shaffique Khan Holy Man can continue his rise to glory by winning today's feature for horses rated 100-70 over 1,200 metres on the main track at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. Holy Man beat Thisoneisforron last time out and though he is one kilos worst off at the weights he can confirm his superiority over the John O'Brien inmate. The Harold Chadee trained Slewjero which was a wide-margin winner last time out will be seeking to double up but will find these horses a lot tougher than last time out. The speedy Intact from the Juan Mosca and Harry Could Dance will ensure this is a strongly run event. Post time for the first event today  is 11.30 am.

ARC Day 21 Card

R1: 11.30AM - WI BRED 4 YO AND OVER MAIDENS - 1,500M (TURF) - $32,000
---    1    Super Six    R Maharaj/C Malcolm    55    Newcomer
258    2    Release D Beast    H Gobin/R Jadoo    53    One to beat
-00    3    Time Tables    R Maharaj/D Boodram    57    Shown little
802    4    Always Ready    H Chadee/R Ali    42    Must  go close
744    5    Pure Happiness    D Bennett/R Angnoo    42    Will go close
755    6    Born To Run    W Debysingh/P Badrie    45    Chance
465    7    Natural Justice    J Mosca/K Razack    51    Ready
 
R2: 12.10PM - 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 30-0  - 1,500M (TURF) - $30,000
566    1    Casino Host    L Alexis/N Abrego    53    Outside shot
141    2    Precious Diamond    L Alexis/R Hernandez    57    Repeat
070    3    Precious Lilly    M Carew Jnr/R Ali    57    No form
964    4    Salome    J Mosca/K Razack    54.5    Speedy
431    5    Super Easy    B Persad/J Reyes    54.5    Repeat
015    6    Rosie Dream    J Mosca/R Hasranah    53    In and out
381    7    Waka Waka    W Debysingh/P Badrie    54.5    Will go close
759    8    The Conqueror    R Maharaj/D Gopie    57    Respected
182    9    Unguarded Moment    J Mosca/N Patrick    52    Big shout
497    10    Western Wish    J Lyder/N Chadee    49.5    Can surprise
052    11    Fire N' Faith    R A Dube/B Boodramsing    57    Must win this
 
R3: 12.48PM - WI BRED 3 YO AND OVER 70-  AND OVER - 1,600M (Turf)  - $60,000
224    1    Kidz Ro    J O'Brien/B Boodramsing    49.5    The winner
411    2    Plum Plum    H Chadee/K Razack    50    In good heart
495    3    King Whistler    H Chadee/R Hernandez    53.5    Needs shorter
122    4    Buffalo Soldier    H Chadee/W Galviz    57    In tough
4D7    5    Sir Alec    R Bartolo/D Gopie    46.5    Must improve
757    6    Smart American    H Chadee/S Chadee    56    Speedy
862    7    Prince Zeshan    H Chadee/D Butcher    47.5    Good run last
 
R4: WI BRED 3 YO &OVER RATED 60-45 - 1,400M (TURF)  - $40,000
411    1    Playthatfunkymusic    W Debysingh/P Badrie    55.5    Hattrick
-08    2    Khartoum    J Mosca/S Samuel    56    On upgrade
814    3    Pacman    L Alexis/S Samuel    57    Chance
123    4    The Tactician    H Gobin/B Boodramsing    52    Well weighted
383    5    Zorro    J Mosca/K Razack    54.5    Can surprise
795    6    U Crazy Diamond    D Mosca/R Thomas    55.5    Ready
021    7    Satya Treasure    T Thomas/R Ali    50.5    Speedy
320    8    Sea Gold    T Thomas/R Jadoo    52    In and out
514    9    Atlantica    H Chadee/W Galviz    53.5    Will go close
741    10    Hidden Agenda    L Alexis/N Abrego    57    Repeat
635    11    Caro's Legacy    K De Silva Jr/N Abrego    57    Chance
 
R5: 2.08PM - 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 55-40 - 1,750M  -$36,000
451    1    Perfect Moment    D Mosca/N Flavenney    52.5    Repeat
325    2    Edmundo    L Alexis/R Thomas    57    Running on
452    3    Dark Treasure    G Mendez/W Galviz    57    Must go close
868    4    Resurgence    J O'Brien/J Reyes    54.5    No impact yet
567    5    Lady Angelica    J O'Brien/B Boodramsing    57    Dropping
064    6    Soca Train    G Mendez/B Pahal    57    Respected
213    7    Red River    J Mosca/N Patrick    52.5    Good sort
163    8    Prado's Princess    H Gobin/R Angnoo    52.5    In tough
900    9    Afterthebooks    K De Freitas/R Hernandez    53.5    No form
 
R6: 2.48PM - 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 70-55 - 1,200M -$43,000
636    1    My Ari    D Mosca/D Gopie    53.5    Chance
350    2    Hyat Princess    J O'Brien/B Boodramsing    53.5    Speedy
057    3    Stormy Frontier    H Gobin/N Flavenney    54.5    Shown little
095    4    Rhea's Toy Soldier    D Mosca/J Reyes    53    Can surprise
606    5    Star Tiger    B Persad/R Jadoo    54.5    No form
222    6    Goliath's Boy    D Mosca/N Abrego    57    Must  win this
785    7    Rewardsinheaven    B Persad/D Blackman    57    Lost way
479    8    Central Square    J O'Brien/N Abrego    56    Needs drop
447    9    Painted Buddha    C Roberts/A Findley    55.5    Losing form
 
 R7: 3.28PM - 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 40-0 - 1,700M - $32,000
328    1    Frankenstein    H Gobin/N Abrego    57    Must win this
540    2    On My Own    R A Dube/A Findley    54.5    Can surprise
655    3    Cordell Walker    H Gobin/K Razack    55    No form
670    4    Skyzim    J Lyder/J Millien    53    Scratched
391    5    Seal The Deal    R Stephen/J Reyes    57    Repeat
009    6    Nandi    B Persad/L Keizer    56    No form
345    7    First Emperor    T Thomas/R Angnoo    53    Chance
715    8    Lady Felisha    R A Dube/B Boodramsing    55    Will  go close
447    9    Nature's Reality    H Gobin/R Jadoo    55    Can go close
 
R8: 4.10PM - WI BRED 3 YO MAIDENS - 1,300M - $43,000
-00    1    Macho Me    T Thomas/R Hernandez    54.5    Nothing yet
---    2    Heat Of The Moment    K De Silva Jr/N Abrego    54.5    Respected
845    3    Ice'D'Gold    M Glasgow/R Hasranah    51    Chance
660    4    Ready And Alert    C Roberts/S Chadee    52.5    In tough
438    5    Be My Lover    R Maharaj/C Malcolm    51    Outside shot
-75    6    Northernbel    J Lyder/N Flavenney    52.5    Can surprise
352    7    Tonithetiger    D Mosca/R Thomas    57    One to beat
226    8    Surya    D Mosca/B Boodramsing    52.5    Big shout
-67    9    Van Der Book    L Alexis/W Galviz    54.5    Outsider
384    10    King Of The Road    J W Samaroo/S Samuel    55.5    Scratched
580    11    Gold Is Class    B Persad/L Keizer    49.5    Scratched
-57    12    Dark Knight    J Lyder/A Findley    54.5    Outsider
333    13    Desert Gold    G Mendez/R Ali    54.5    One to beat
 
R9: 4.50PM - 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 100-70 - 1,200M - $60,000
001    1    Slewjero    H Chadee/W Galviz    51.5    Repeat
225    2    Thisonesforron    J O'Brien/B Boodramsing    52.5    One to beat
416    3    Intact    J Mosca/S Samuel    57    Very speedy
266    4    El Bandido De Oro    H Chadee/D Butcher    57    In tough
432    5    Harry Could Dance    H Chadee/K Razack    45.5    Outside shot
D21    6    Holy Man    S Khan/N Flavenney    56    Will go close
336    7    Red Lace    S Khan/R Angnoo    51    Needs further
 
R10: 5.30PM - 3 YO AND OVER HORSES RATED 55-40 - 1,750M - $36,400
982    1    Queen Esther    J Mosca/N Flavenney    57    Speedy
807    2    Lookin At Lovely    L Alexis/R Thomas    57    In tough
953    3    Chelsi Magic    C Roberts/C Malcolm    55.5    Outside shot
363    4    Princess Warrior    D Mosca/S Chadee    57    Respected
162    5    Messi    C Roberts/R Jadoo    57    Running on
804    6    Iconic    H Gobin/R Ali    55.5    Outsider
649    7    Asia    S Khan/D Butcher    55    Can surprise
121    8    Little Otis    T Thomas/R Hernandez    57    In great form
990    9    Hesuntouchabull    J Mosca/J Reyes    57    Not  yet

Guardian Selections

Kelvin N  - Selection
Best bet: R10 - #10 - Peppermint
R1: Release D Beast, Always Ready, Born To Run
R2: Fire N Faith, Precious Diamond, Unguarded Moment,  Waka Waka
R3: Kidz Ro, Buffalo Soldier, Prince Zeshan
R4: Caro's Legacy, Atlantica, U Crazy Diamond, Playthatfunkymusic 
R5: Dark Treasure, Soca Train, Edmundo, Lady Angelica
R6: Goliath's Boy, Rhea's Toy Soldier,Painted Buddha
R7: Frankenstein, First Emperor, Nature's Reality
R8: Desert Gold, Surya, Ice D Gold, Tonithetiger
R9: Holy Man, Thisonesforron, Intact
R10: Peppermint, Asia, Princess Warrior, Little Otis, Queen Esther

Eddie A
Best bet: R10 - #10 - Peppermint
R1: Release D Beast, Always Ready, Pure Happiness
R2: Precious Diamond, Unguarded Moment, Fire N' Faith, Waka Waka
R3: Buffalo Soldier, Kidz Ro, Smart American
R4: Caro's Legacy, U Crazy Diamond, Playthatfunkymusic, Atlantica
R5: Dark Treasure, Edmundo, Lady Angelica
R6: Goliath's Boy, Central Square, Rhea's Toy Soldier
R7: Frankenstein, Lady Felisha, Nature's Reality
R8: Desert Gold, Surya, King Of the Road, Tonithetiger
R9: Holy Man, Thisonesforron, Intact
R10: Peppermint, Princess Warrior, Little Otis, Queen Esther

Dancing Brave
Best bet: R10 - #3 - Chelsi Magic
R1: Born to Run, Time Tables, Always Ready, Pure Happiness
R2: Salome, Unguarded Moment, Waka Waka, The Conqueror, Western Wish
R3: King Whistler, Smart American, Kidz Ro, Plum Plum
R4: Zorro, Atlantica, U Crazy Diamond, Pacman, Khartoum
R5: Dark Treasure, Soca Train, Red River, Perfect Moment
R6: Painted Buddha, Star Tiger, Goliath’s Boy, Central Square, My Ari
R7: Nature’s Reality, Nandi, First Emperor, On My Own
R8: Desert Gold, Tonithetiger, Surya, Dark Knight, Van Der Book
R9: Holy Man, Harry Could Dance, Intact, Slewjero
R10: Chelsi Magic, Messi, Iconic, Peppermint, Asia

The Mechanic
Best bet: R10 - #9 - Hesuntouchabull 
R1: Always Ready, Release the Beast, Pure Happiness, Natural Justice
R2: Precious Diamond, Unguarded Moment, The Conqueror, Salome, Casino Host
R3: Buffalo Soldier, Kidz Ro, Plum Plum, Prince Zeshan
R4: The Tactician, Playthatfunkymusic, Zorro, Hidden Agenda, Caro’s Legacy
R5: Dark Treasure, Edmundo, Red River, Soca Train
R6: Goliath’s Boy, Hyat Princess, Central Square, Painted Buddha, Stormy Frontier
R7:  Lady Felisha, Frankenstein, Seal the Deal, Nature’s Reality
R8: Desert Gold, Surya, Tonithetiger, Northernbel,  Dark Knight
R9: Intact, Holy Man, Thisonesforron, Red Lace
R10: Hesuntouchabull, Peppermint, Iconic, Asia, Lookin at Lovely

The Watcher
Best bet: R10 - #1 - Queen Esther
R1: Release the Beast, Natural Justice, Born To Run, Always Ready
R2: Fire N’ Faith, Casino Host, Rosie Dream, Precious Diamond, Super Easy
R3: Prince Zeshan, Buffalo Soldier, Plum Plum, Kidz Ro
R4: U Crazy Diamond, The Tactician, Caro’s Legacy, Pacman, Zorro
R5: Lady Angelica, Edmundo, Dark Treasure, Prado’s Princess
R6: Hyat Princess, Goliath’s Boy, Rhea’s Toy Soldier, Star Tiger, Painted Buddha
R7: First Emperor, Lady Felisha, Frankenstein, Cordell Walker
R8: Desert Gold, Surya, Tonithetiger, Be My Lover, Heat Of The Moment
R9: Holy Man, Intact, Slewjero, Thisonesforron
R10: Queen Esther, Messi, Iconic, Peppermint, Hesuntouchabull

National golfer Monifa Sealy finished second among a field of 80 at the Women's Eastern Golf Association Amateur Championship played from Tuesday to Thursday at the St James Plantation, Southport in North Carolina, USA. Sealy, a senior at the University of Central Florida, ended in a tie with Mexican Ana Menendez after both ladies finished with a score of 218. Sealy had to settle for silver in the sudden death playoff.

Sealy was four shots ahead of Menendez after the first two rounds, but Menendez played a solid third round, drawing even with Sealy to force the playoff. After the playoff Sealy stated she did not let the playoff situation get the best of her. Sealy said: “I really wasn't nervous. I was surprised how calm I was, actually, but it was a lot of fun and it's good to be in that place.” The T&T golfer said she wants to continue her top form for the remainder of the summer tournaments.