licence renewed yesterday when a competing business launched an objection.

Yesterday's Magistrates' Court hearing was supposed to assess the competence and suitability of proposed manager Francis Grenardo.

However, Mr. Christian Luthi, lawyer for the Sea Horse Betting Shop, said his client was opposed to Top Turf getting its licence renewed because it was unlikely a new manager would be able to get the business running properly again.

Top Turf was the focus of a trial earlier this year. The Finance Ministry opposed its licence renewal claiming the company's affairs were not properly managed.

And it further alleged the business was insolvent. Yesterday the Ministry filed a writ for $137,718.40 against Top Turf for alleged arrears of the betting tax.

Top Turf lawyer Mr. Edward Bailey argued it was improper for Mr. Luthi to object because Sea Horse was also a betting business.

"He has no place in these proceedings,'' Mr. Bailey said. "They have a self-interest in making sure their competitor goes out of business.

"If he was representing one of Top Turf's creditors then he could have a say.'' Mr. Luthi said that the management of the Sea Horse was not the issue.

He said his client had the interests of the betting industry at heart.

Betting Licence Authority chairman the Wor. Will Francis said the central issue was the quality of the manager.

Top Turf became the centre of a Ministry of Finance investigation because it allegedly attempted to avoid paying taxes, using a home in Warwick to receive bets from Americans through a rented post box. Money was also allegedly deposited in an Antiguan bank.

At an earlier trial, the Betting Licence Authority gave Top Turf three months to come up with a better management scheme.

Mr. Francis said the panel was particularly troubled that Vincent Belboda, a manager and major shareholder, knew very little about what was going on and spent limited time on the premises.

The panel gave Top Turf until June 30 to find a suitable and experienced manager who could then come up with a scheme to settle the companies' affairs.

Crown counsel Mr. Philip Storr was not prepared to proceed yesterday because he said the Police had not had time to check out Grenardo's resume.

Mr. Bailey said he had received assurances from Senior Crown counsel Mr. Brian Calhoun that Grenardo's resume would have been checked out.

"What annoys me is that Mr. Calhoun is a senior member of the Attorney General's chambers and he told me that he would have this checked out so that we would be able to go ahead with this today.'' But Mr. Francis pointed out it was Top Turf's duty to make sure the Police had copies of the resume. This was not done, he said.

Moreover, Mr. Francis said the manager's competence was an important issue in the case and he adjourned the matter until June 23.