4-. Waunasday, July 9, 1997 ~ North Shora News

A. West Vancouver man
is behind a proposal to
build a horse racing

track in east Richmond,

Vancouver Stock By-
eliinge-listedt Sungold
Gaming International says tt
has bought 92 heetares ofland
straddling, No. § foad, south
of Westininster Highway, [tt
hopes to build a “world-class”
racing facility called
Richmond Downs on the tand
it claims (0 have purchased,

“The deal has been closed,
we have taken out an option
and it's registered,” — said
Sungold's president Hans
Banziger, of West Vancouver,
“It’s all put to bed.”

Richmend Downs would
boast a 14 mile dirt track, a 14
mile turf track and a one-mile
training facility. The complex,
targeted ta open in 1999,
would include a grandstand,
horse barns, food service facil-
ities, parking, a satellite TV
simulcast centre, electronic
horse racing and — slot
machines. The company. has
not revealed how mich the
project would cost.

But the and is pare of the
Agricultural Land Reserve
(ALR) and Sungold needs
Richmond City” Council's
approval before it can ask the
provincial government to
exempt it from the farmland
conservation — moratorium,
Under Agricultural Land
Commission regulations,
commercial horse racing
tracks are not permitted.

“There’s io need to take
this land out of the land
freeze,” said Kim Hart,
Sungold's vice-president of
corporate affairs and an owner
of race horses at Hastings
Park. “We intend to use this
for agricultural purposes: the
care, maintenance and racing
of horses.”

The city’s mayor disagrees,

“I think it?s a real long-
shot,” said Richmond Mayor
Greg Halsey-Brandt. “I
wouldn't be supporting it. 1
certainly don’t see it as com-
patible with the ALR.”

Hart said Sungold has a
survey which indicates “over-
whelining” support for a horse
racing track in Richmond. He
would not disclose the results
or methodology employed.

“You'll have to do your
own survey,” he said, “We
have no desire to get into a
public argument over whether
or not this is viable, We'll
make a full presentation.”

Sungold has not made any
formal proposals to govern-

ment or the horse racing:

industry. But Hart maintains
there’s strong support ainong
the industry for facilities bet-
ter than the Xths of a mile
track at Hastings Park.

“We don’t know a lot
about the proposal at this
stage, it’s difficult to comment
on the merits until we have
more details,” said David
Milburn, president of the
Horseman’s Benevolent and
Protective Association, which
represents the province's thar-
oughbred trainers and owners.

“No doubt, the thorough-
bred racing industry in B.C.
needs a new facility with a
one-mile race track, a new
barn area, state of the art
grandstand... We require ail
these changes in order to
prosper and get ahead in the
next century.”

Bob Stirskey, interim gen-
eral manager of Hastings Park

WV man fronts race

Sungold Gaming International promotes horse racing

dnd chair ofthe Pacific Racing
Associaton, sald the industey
wot “love a brand nes facil.
“The logle behind the
lueation makes sense, certalaly
there's a huge Chinese popu
lation there’ chat they could
tap into, Quite frankly we're
trying to figure Gut Ways to
tap inte it.”

B.G. Racing Commission
chair Lorna Romilly — said
Sungold will have to apply for
a licence from the provineiil

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government agency whieh
regulates horse racing,

“Retore we issue licences,
we do an favestigation of the
company, the individuals and
their financing and then they
would need race dates, whieh
we approve,” Romilly said,

“But as long as there's a
thoroughbred track operating
in the Lower Maintand
(Hastings Park) we wouldi't
approve race dates at any
other track.”

Sungold's stock has been

halted from trading on the
VSK, pending — corporate
restructuring, since February,
It closed at $17.50 ashire and
is undergoing a three-for-one
stock split. The conspany says
it plans ta build a gambling
resort on a South) Koreati
island and a casino complex
onan Todian reserve in
Michigan.

-— By Bob Mackin, a
reporter with Richmond News,

a North Shore News affiliate. — the Richmond site.

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Photo Dan Toulgost
SUNGOLD director Henry Schwang of Wost Van,
president Hans Banziger of West Van and the com-
pany’'s vice-president of corporate affairs Kim Hart at

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