Have Russians fallen at the final hurdles of Mijas race course?
THE saga of the Mijas racetrack might now be finally put to rest.
The town hall has apparently taken over the running of the beleaguered race track, after years of neglect from the company licensed to operate it.
Despite apparently paying off debts to the taxman amounting to more than a million euros, the town hall is understood to have broken its contract with Carrera entertainment.
“It is the only way we can guarantee the future of the hippodrome” said a spokesman for the town hall.
As reported by the Olive Press in January, the racecourse has been mired in scandal ever since Mijas town hall signed a licence in 2003 with a pair of shady Russians to run it.
Using their company, Carrera Entertainment, the elusive Mani brothers allegedly failed to pay prize money, file tax returns or pay their workers.
They also failed to commit to promises to improve the venue by adding a covered stadium.
“There have been rumours for month that the town hall would take back the license for the race course” said a source at the race course.
“A number of staff have not been paid on time and there was quite a lot discontent.”
One jockey Samuel Oliva confirmed that the town hall had reclaimed the running of the track. “I know the town hall have taken it back but I don’t know exactly what the situation is with Carrera.”
Both the town hall and the race course itself remained remarkably coy about the matter when contacted by the Olive Press last week.
Complaints have not recently been confined to the mistreatment of staff.
A jockey recently complained to the Guardia Civil about a horse that had apparently starved to death.
While denied by the race course, this raised fears about the fate of other horses at the track.
The jockey, who has since quit, blamed the neglect on the “slackness of the company.”
Stable manager Juan Manuel Sanchez claimed however that the animal had in fact died from colic, not hunger.
