Sunday racing, which had an historic introduction at Caymanas Park late this year on November 29, followed by a second meet on December 13, has been scrapped for 2010.

The decision to curtail Sunday racing was taken by the Caymanas Track Limited's (CTL) board, which cited losses on the two meets staged so far, despite attracting very large crowds to the 50-year-old racing plant.

The first day recorded sales of $17.9 million and the second $15.3 million (both on eight races), not bad without the input of Off-Track Betting (OTB). But without this vital component, which accounts for 70 per cent of CTL sales on any given raceday, Sunday racing was doomed to failure.

The CTL-controlled OTBs were barred from opening on a directive from the Cabinet in the week leading up to the first Sunday meet, this largely due to the outcry and lobbying of the Church.

Commenting on the decision to abort Sunday racing, CTL's newly appointed director of marketing, Chris Armond, said: "We took the decision last week after looking at the statistical data for the two experimental meets on November 29 and December 13.

"If we can't open the OTBs we can't make it work," declared Armond, who is also chairman of racing's Advisory Council.

He said CTL has revised its racing calendar for 2010 and no Sunday dates have been included.

"We can't set the dates not knowing where we are going. It's just not feasible without the participation of the CTL Off-Track Betting parlours," insisted Armond.

"As things now stand the ball is in Government's court."