Asian Racing Conferance kicks off.

JUST short of 700 delegates and a further 150 attendees from 33 countries or regions have gathered in Tokyo for the 32nd Asian Racing Conference.

Official business begins on Monday with Asian Racing Federation executive meetings, before getting down to three days of presentations and discussions starting on Tuesday.

The measure of the growing importance of the conference in setting the agenda for international debate is that when the inaugural event was held in Tokyo in 1960, there were 69 attendees representing seven countries.

Kenji Tsuchikawa, chief executive of the Japan Racing Association, which is hosting the event on behalf of the federation, said: "The conference has grown substantially, as racing activities in the ARF region are vitalised, and it now stands as one of the leading and most internationally attended thoroughbred racing conferences in the world."

Reflecting on Asia's contribution to world racing and betting, ARF chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: "After almost half a century's hard work and investment, we now account for one-third of the world's breeding industry and almost half of its betting turnover."
Engelbrecht-Bresges, German-born chief executive of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, added: "No doubt we can look back on our past successes with pride, but more importantly we should look forward to taking our sport and industry to new heights in the increasingly globalised market.

"This is why the conference, with its theme of ‘new horizons for racing', aims to provide a forum not only for Asia, but for delegates from around the world to share their experience and expert opinion."

Business session topics range from marketing and the customer experience and the racing product to wagering and breeding for sale and racing.

There are also workshops on developing racing nations, equine veterinary science and aspects of racetrack management.

thanks for this scotia, do you know whom from SAF is attending other than Mick Goss?

Probably Peter Gibson? It is my intention to give feedback on the highlights, and the delegates list might be published.

Club Chairman Mr John C C Chan will be representing Hong Kong in his Chief Delegate role and Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club's Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), will deliver on Tuesday morning a keynote address entitled "New Strategies for New Global Challenges".

"Building on the success of our last conference in Dubai, where we reflected on the ARF's continuing efforts to develop its racing within the context of an increasingly globalised sport, the 32nd ARC with its theme of 'New Horizons for Racing' will focus on future opportunities for racing and our readiness to excel in the global sports and entertainment arena," Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said ahead of the biennial gathering.

"The conference brings together racing and wagering professionals from not only the world's most progressive but also its up-and-coming jurisdictions to share their experience and expertise. We have also invited leading entrepreneurs and professionals outside of racing to give additional perspectives and to extend our horizons. There is no better place or time to catch up on the latest developments from across the region and around the world."

South African delegates include Mick Goss from Summerhill Stud; Jan Naude from Bloodstock SA and Peter Gibson from Racing South Africa.

Japan: BHA chief executive Nic Coward pressedhome the point that horseracing has every right to regard itself as a sport rather than simply a betting product - despite what others might think.

Coward, attending the Asian Racing Conference for the first time, addressed delegates on Tuesday.

Having been handed the topic ‘Any sports lessons for racing?' because of his previous involvement with the Football Association as lawyer and twice acting joint-MD, Coward began by turning the subject on its head.

"Each and every sport will say with total justification that its markets are unique," he said, "but there are obvious and massive differences.

"So does racing have anything to gain from looking at the strategies and experiences of team sports as diverse as football, baseball and rugby union,or of individual sports such as tennis and golf, or even motor sport?"

Before allowing himself time to answer the question, Coward posed another: "What about the view that racing isn't sport at all?"

He went on: "Some say it is not a sport because it is a betting product; always has been, always will be.

"But there are vulnerabilities in a close relationship with betting, and we can and must be a leading sports brand."
That way, he added, racing - "the sport of kings" - would deliver a serious product, including betting, in highly competitive and ever more globalised markets.

He added: "We need to build on stunning global events. We have to stop talking ourselves down, and get out there with the great stories we have to tell."

Despite emphasising the sporting aspect, Coward allowed betting to stray back into his presentation, and possibly gave a hint that ‘right to bet' could become a prominent phrase when discussions on modernising the levy system swing into action in earnest.

Pointing out that since joining the BHA he has continued to chair the Sports Rights Owners Coalition, a campaigning group that includes the major international sports bodies, he revealed that it regarded piracy of content as a major issue.

He explained: "Their view is that people offering a bet on a sport without paying for the right to bet are pirates, creating an association without having bought the right, or the honour, to have that association.

"They think the debate needs to be taken to a global level, and to governments in order to create the right that is being pirated."

However, Coward added: "No-one is pirating racing, because it comes back to the betting product."

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Global harmonisation of rules moves step closer


Japan: GREATER harmonisation of raceday rules around the world has crept ever so slightly closer, but divergent views on interference still represent the biggest hurdle.

A closed meeting of stewards, held in conjunction with the Asian Racing Conference, revealed more agreement about moving forward than in several previous discussions.

Since being raised seriously at the previous conference in Dubai in January 2007, a harmonisation committee, chaired by leading South African administrator Rob de Kock, has been created by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Interference rules and their application remain the most hotly disputed topic, and De Kock confirmed that diametrically opposed views still exist between France, the Americas and Japan on one side, and Britain, Ireland and most of the other Asian Racing Federation countries - which includes South Africa - on the other.

The first group load the balance in favour of victims when there is doubt in interference inquiries, while the second generally stand by merit and a past-the-post result.

De Kock said: "We've changed from one side to the other, and we believe it's fairer and has greater favour with punters.

"I'd like to see if we can get more countries to do the same, but it's likely that we'll have to run with both views for the immediate future."

Progress on this and other issues has been slow, but De Kock reported a more positive outlook in the Tokyo discussions.
He said: "People around the table are taking the debate much more constructively,instead of being defensive about having different rules to other countries and being sensitive to what they see as criticism.

"I admit I've been frustrated at time, but it was refreshing that we could get people to talk to each other about the differences. I'm sure we can go forward from here."

De Kock's impressions were backed up by BHA senior stipendiary steward William Nunneley and his Hong Kong Jockey Club counterpart Jamie Stier.

Nunneley said: "It was a very rewarding meeting. We're all talking, and getting closer on a lot of issues."

Stier added: "I detect the beginnings of an acceptance of change, and though it won't happen overnight, people aren't taking a defensive attitude so much.

"There's a feeling that some countries can't change certain of their rules, but other will be able to move on and find common ground."

Issues on which De Kock said there was likelihood of harmonisation sooner rather than later include setting a range of standards for jockeys' helmets and back protectors (which would also be subject to a unified weight allowance) and adopting guidelines on the use of the whip.

Nunneley went on to reveal that, following discussion at the stewards' meeting, spurs are expected to be outlawed under the international racing agreement. Britain will probably remove them from the start of next turf Flat season.

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Racing risks ‘dinosaur' status says chairman


RACING worldwide runs the risk of being regarded as a "dinosaur" unless it works to locate new customers.

The warning came on Tuesday from Hong Kong official Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, making the opening address at the Asian Racing Conference in Tokyo.

In Britain, Racing Enterprises Ltd is setting off to establish racing's identity in the sports, leisure and entertainment market on one side of the world.

On the other, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has completed a thorough strategic assessment - which chief executive Engelbrecht-Bresges advocates every racing nation should carry out.

"Racing's customer base is facing dramatic shrinkage, while betting is likely to grow," said Engelbrecht-Bresges, addressing delegates in his role as chairman of the Asian Racing Federation.

"If we do not address the issue of new customers, we will become a dinosaur."

The situation had already been damaged by what he called "the financial tsunami", which, he said, "will affect us dramatically in the months to come."

Racing would have to look outside for the answers, Engelbrecht-Bresges said. "We in horseracing look too much inside," he added.

"Our definition of markets is too narrow. We have to be clear how we differentiate from our competitors. We should not look inside.

"We have to ask what the relevance of racing is to the new customer. We firmly believe in doing a strategic assessment, but you have to be brutal about where you stand."

Fragmentation was one of the biggest problems in racing, and one of the key reasons for the difficulty in growing the sport's customer base, Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

"We need new coalitions, because we don't have the structure to move forward," he added. "New customers want new offers, and we have to communicate with them in different ways.

"We lack innovation in offering new value propositions, and we lack integrated channels to get into the sport. For instance, new customers coming into any of our websites get lost."

Engelbrecht-Bresges reflected on progress - or otherwise - since the last conference in Dubai in January 2007, when harmonisation of rules and co-mingled betting emerged as the main topics.

He said: "On regulatory issues we can be very successful, but for commercial opportunities we are not structured properly, we're notgeared up for this challenge.

"We are set up and have rights to do things on regulation, but the commercial side is so fragmented."

ORGANISERS of the Global Sprint Challenge are going all out to encourage trainers to step up the level of competition by making changes to the bonus system for 2009.

The four-country, eight-race series, which started in 2005 and included three UK races - the King's Stand Stakes, Golden Jubilee and July Cup - for the first time this year, will retain its million-dollar bonus.

However, whereas previously the jackpot was to be paid to a horse that won a Group 1 race in three of the four participating countries - Australia, the UK, Japan and Hong Kong - and ran in all four, it will no longer be necessary to run in every country to claim the prize.

In addition, US$250,000 will be siphoned off the owner's reward for the winning horse's trainer.

The changes were revealed at the Asian Racing Conference yesterday by Hong Kong Jockey Club racing director Bill Nader, who explained: "We want to motivate the key decision-makers, the trainers, to reach for the stars."

Nader, who confirmed the decision made earlier this year to provide the winning trainer with a significant slice of two bonuses available for the Asian Mile Challenge in 2009, pointed out that the sprint prize had yet to be won.

For the second year running there will not even be a Sprint Challenge champion when this year's series ends with the Hong Kong Sprint on December 14.

The points-based conditions say a horse must accumulate at least 42 points to be given champion status. Takeover Target and Swick, the Australian-based leaders after seven legs, have 16 and 15 points respectively, and the maximum points available in Hong Kong are 20.
Removing the four-country racing condition will help the UK races in particular and the series generally, Ascot's on-the-spot representative Nick Smith said.

The Royal meeting has played host to overseas winner Cape of Good Hope, Takeover Target and Miss Andretti.

"It opens up a new level of permutations," he added. "It could be very useful in encouraging the horse we particularly want to come to Ascot, Weekend Hussler, afterhe's run in the Dubai Duty Free, which is part of the Asian Mile Challenge.

"If he's already won the first race in the Global Sprint Challenge, which is at the beginning of February, he'd be qualified for both bonuses, and we'd encourage his trainer Ross McDonald, whose making all the calls, to go for the Queen Anne and the Golden Jubilee."

No new race has been added to the sprint series in 2009, and Smith said the organisers were stepping back to make an evaluation, ready to take the event into its next phase.

He said: "The series has been very successful, but we need to structure it for a new era from 2010.

"Meydan, in Dubai, which will be ready then, may want to be involved, and we need to look at the whole sprint programme through the year, thinking about where races such as the Kris Flyer in Singapore and the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint fit

I have been saying this for some time, computer points at the track/internet cafe, we have a facility in the Elevation, but we should have this in place of the casino!

3G and YouTube used to target younger racegoers


NEW technology will bring in a new audience for horseracing, At The Races chief executive Matthew Imi told delegates at the Asian Racing Conference, when he joined a panel discussing philosophies and new horizons in television.

"Racing needs to bring new customers to the sport, and generate more interest and awareness among the younger generation," he said, "and it's important to talk to young customers in their own language.

"We are seeking to do this by making our content available to platforms that the younger generation use, so we have made ATR available live to all the major 3G mobile platforms in our market, and we currently rate within the top ten of channels used.
"Then we have a presence on YouTube, where we upload features, preview programming and big-race highlights, but not live racing."

Imi added; "It's easy to be protectionist about content, and think the best way to exploit it is to hold on to it, but we don't believe you can do that any longer.

"As long as we're taking a responsible attitude to how we distribute the product, we need to hit the younger audience."

FOUR years after separate lists of ratings for the world's top northern and southern hemisphere-raced horses were introduced, in order to avoid confusion, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities is going back to a single compilation, for the same reason.

In January, the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings will be renamed the World Thoroughbred Rankings, covering all horses rated 115 and above, according to a panel of international handicappers, and based on form shown any time, anywhere, in the calendar year 2008.

The decision,ratified recently by the IFHA and revealed at the Asian Racing Conference on Tuesday by Nigel Gray, joint-chairman of the World Rankings Supervisory Committee, will turn back the clock to 2004.

Then, the IFHA took over responsibility for what had beenknown as the International Classifications since 1977, and attempts to compensate for differences in racing calendars led to the publication of two sets of end-of-season World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, in January for horses that raced to northern hemisphere time, and August for those that raced in the southern hemisphere term.

The move came about largely because southern hemisphere racing jurisdictions felt the merit of their best horses was not being fairly represented in the traditional January classification, which came midway through their season.

However, confusion quickly surfaced when performances such as those by Makybe Diva in the early-November Melbourne Cup and Sacred Kingdom in December's Hong Kong Sprint escaped the January listing.

They were not formally assessed until the following August, by which time northern hemisphere horses were halfway through another season.
Explaining the about-turn, Gray said: "We made the original decision for the best of reasons, taking account of the different seasons.

"Now, in the light of experience, we have decided to go back to a single annual rankings list, again with the idea of making things less confusing.

"We're pleased that the southern hemisphere countries were prepared to accept the change. The will still have their end-of-season rankings list, and their horses will get recognition in the new World Thoroughbred Rankings."

In a further bid to clarify publication of official international ratings through the year, the periodical IFHA list known as World's Leading Horses is also being renamed World Thoroughbred Rankings, but will carry the six-month period of qualification in brackets.

The list will continue to rank the world's top 50 horses on ratings achieved in the previous half-year, and will still be published ten times a year.

Gray, former head of handicapping at the BHB, who has had a similar role with the Hong Jockey Club for two years, said: "The change of title should remove possible confusion, but the list will still provide a snapshot of what has been going on relatively recently."

THE vision of a global TV racing channel, operating 24/365 and supporting a weekly pool bet that could draw a €350 million jackpot, was raised at the Asian Racing Conference on Thursday.

But it came with a warning from John Stuart, international marketing and operations director for Racing UK's South African-based partner Phumelela, that it was time to stop talking and start taking action.

Wrong footing more than a few delegates, Stuart introduced a video of the launch on RTV of the Universal, a worldwide pool bet in which punters would be asked to name the first eight in a major race, beginning with the 2012 Japan Cup.

The detail might have been fanciful - Japan is unlikely to have legislation to allow co-mingled betting for many years - but Stuart's intent is serious.

He said: "Horseracing tote betting revenue is not only losing market share to other betting types, but is actually declining in terms of general global revenue.

"If the sport does not do something dramatic, racing could be reduced to a small number of tracks in a small number of countries."

Pointing out that attempts to create a global bet had involved several years' debate but no outcome, Stuart said: "We can't be discussing this in ten years, five years or even one year. We've got to stop talking about it, get a handful of guys who can thrash it out round a table, and get it done."

Putting together global exchange of racing and its associated betting would require a change of mindset, Stuart said, from being product focussed to customer focussed.
"Research among punters has shown the need for more races, staged more often and with bigger pools," he added. "The only viable answer is to make better use of the racing we already have, wherever in the world it comes from."

Stuart outlined ten key factors for achieving his vision, ending with the most important, "an overall shift of attitude to one of openness and collaboration, which encompasses the need to stop focussing on the walls that divide us and to start embracing the technology that potentially unites us."

Stuart said the global horseracing and betting industry was at a defining crossroads.

He added: "We have a simple choice: either the low road - small centres of excellence but with gradual loss of global market share - or the high road - a world of vibrant and dynamic domestic racing jurisdictions working together, connected with a sharing in the proceeds of a global tote betting industry."

Urging racing authority delegates to "plant the seed," Stuart asked: "Together we have the products, the understanding, the viable working model and the technology, but do we have the will to make it happen?"

Brendan Parnell, COO with Australian betting operator Tabcorp but also closely involved with Sky Channel, which is taking three UK meetings a week, said there was a will but pointed out there were hurdles facing the wider racing community.

However, he added: "We need to bite the bullet and swallow some pride on what the right bet-type should be, and take a step away from local issues."

thanks for the update scotia, appreciated