THE STORM which has been brewing after the announcement of Chief Commander as the 2008 Horse of the Year at the March 2 Jetsam Awards ceremony has blown over.

Storm Street is set to be announced as the new Horse of the Year winner tomorrow. Yesterday the trio of Eddie Arneaud (media), Shammi Kowlessar (media) and Dr Jagdis Suratsingh(Trainers Association), who were part of the five-man Jetsam Awards Selection Committee, met at Santa Rosa Park in an emergency session to bring the issue to a close.

Missing from the meeting was David Loregnard (BLB/TTRA/ARC) chairman of the Jetsam Awards Selection Committee and Baskaran Bassawh (Racehorse Owners Association). This emergency meeting yesterday came on the heels of the Arima Race Club’s announcement on Friday that a miscommunication was the reason for the problem regarding the Horse of the Year announcement, and no decision was reached by the ARC to overturn the decision.

Present at the meeting yesterday was the ARC’s Michelle Omar-Leiba, who heads the marketing and sponsorship events division. She took notes arising out of the meeting, and it was agreed among the trio that the three votes originally submitted for the Horse of the Year title were valid.

The Express spoke with ARC president, Kama Maharaj about the meeting’s outcome.

’It’s not official... We will make an annoucement on Monday,’ Maharaj said. ’We had a quorum, and the meeting went ahead. A decision arising out of that meeting was conveyed to the chief executive officer (Ken Ogeer) in writing’.

Maharaj was also asked what is the club’s next step

’The management committee will decide how to proceed based on what the result is. I haven’t read it.. It has gone to the CEO’.

Storm Street’s owner Derek Chin also reacted to the latest developments.

’The glory of the moment has gone and the moment is very much deflated’ he said. ’You could never repeat that time. My moment has been taken from me’.

’I will accept the record, but I will donate the trophy to the club,’ he continued. ’Hopefully they will put it in the Hospitality Suite, and do the right thing and find out what caused it. The whole issue of integrity of racing has been questioned and I am anxiously awaiting and keeping my fingers cross to see what will be done, so that I will not have to pursue this matter any further.

’I sympathise with Mr Neil Poon Tip (Chief Commander’s connection), but it wasn’t my fault. Hopefully this situation will ensure that Jetsam Awards Selection process will be more professional next year’ Chin ended.