By Neto Baptiste
Dr Dwayne “Baba” Thwaites, a noted urologist and horse owner, has challenged local businessman Carlton “Tyre Master” Lewis to make good on his promise to assist in the development of the sport here, even amidst his ongoing court battle with the Antigua Turf Club over rights to the lands encompassing the Cassada Gardens Race Track.
Thwaites, speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, called on Lewis to donate a substantial amount of funds needed to ship equipment recently purchased by the turf club.
“One of the things that I wanted to mention in Antigua and Barbuda with the racetrack and with all the confusion we’re having with Tyre Master, I heard him saying that if we need help then he would be glad to help us because I am looking now for about US $12,000 to bring the rails home. We brought new rails for the track and I brought a harrow,” he said.
“If Tyre Master is out there, this is Dwayne ‘Baba’ Thwaites, and I am saying to you that I heard you on the radio saying that you would be able to contribute something to the turf club, and I am saying here on the radio that we are looking for some money, about US $10,000 to bring home our rails and to bring home the harrow because have already purchased them and we are looking for some money,” he added.
The turf club and the businessman have been locked in legal battles since 2012 when Lewis filed an injunction restraining the Antigua Turf Club from trespassing on the property.
Since then, the turf club has succeeded in the courts, winning the rights to utilise what has become the country’s lone horse racing facility. However, there have been no races at the facility in over a year, owing to numerous issues.
Thwaites said finances continues to be an issue for the turf club.
“We have cleaned up and some people are exercising and some of the horses are sick and out, but we have people who are training. I know my crew they go beach every day and they would go down to Fort James and do their swimming, so they are still doing some exercising and we’re starting to get the track ready,” he said.
“One of the problems that we have is finances and getting people together to help us do this. I just appealed to Tyre Master to help us and I am appealing to you [the public] so that we could beautify that place and make it look good. It belongs to us and we need to upkeep it,” the doctor added. In a recent interview, Lewis revealed that he is willing to take his legal fight for rights over the facility to the highest possible courts should he lose his appeal against the 2018 judgment in favour of the Antigua Turf Club.