The 40th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) officially opened in Sapporo last night (Tuesday, 27 August), marking the ARC’s return to Japan, where it was first staged in 1960.
The Conference began with the opening ceremony at the Grand Mercure Sapporo Odori Park, where Asian Racing Federation (ARF) Chairman and Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, welcomed approximately 800 guests from 40 countries.
Delivering the opening address to the three-day Conference (28-30 August), Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “It is most fitting that the 40th edition of the ARC returns to its birthplace, Japan, and to celebrate the 70th birthday of the JRA (Japan Racing Association).
“The first Conference was convened in Tokyo in 1960 on the initiative of Count Todamasa Sakai, President of the Japan Racing Association, and Mr U Chit Khine, of the Rangoon Turf Club. Having gone through three years between the 38th Conference in Cape Town and the 39th Conference in Melbourne due to COVID, it is wonderful to be back together. We, as the Racing industry, have shown great resilience during COVID but ‘Long COVID effects’ have created significant challenges in most countries.
“We face economic challenges with high inflation and interest rates; we face increased competition from other forms of digital entertainment offerings which had grown massively during COVID; we see a massive growth in illegal and offshore wagering; we see significant changes in customers/consumer behaviours and, as a consequence, we see a decline of income in many racing jurisdictions as an outcome.
“While we witness some positive developments with a significant growth of racing activities in the Middle East, at the other end of the spectrum some of our members face major financial difficulties, and worse, the extinction of racing in some jurisdictions.
“Our industry is at a critical juncture and I firmly believe it is necessary that we critically review our current situation and how we reposition ourselves to secure our future. In this context, as leaders in our industry, we need to prepare for these challenges, but more importantly we have to advocate change, explore new ways of collaboration, and embrace new technology like AI (artificial intelligence) to help us to be more relevant to our customers.
“The way racing has been able to manage COVID has demonstrated how resilient and agile we can be, which makes me feel confident we can master these challenges.”
Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said these challenges could be met with a focus on goodwill and mutual understanding, promotion of horse racing and breeding and the integrity of our sport, encouraging and developing mutually beneficial objectives and strategies, exchanges of ideas and information and to encourage, promote, and support international competition of horses and jockeys.
“We have to focus on our current and future customers and the big vision; and not lose our focus due to our fragmentation and tendency to look backward and not forward,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
The Sapporo conference theme – Be Connected, Stride Together – features a dynamic and highly interactive three-day programme of guest speakers who will examine key post-pandemic trends in racing, breeding and wagering, equine and human welfare, international competition and integrity issues as well as several other key matters.
Hosted for the fifth time in Japan, the 40th ARC features nine sessions with keynote speakers from all over the world from a broad range of fields. On Tuesday (27 August), several key bureau meetings were held, including the ARF Executive Council, ARF General Assembly, International Stewards’ Conference, Asian Pattern Committee, and the Asian and Oceania Stud Book Committee.
“The ARF should be immensely proud of the singular contribution that this Conference has historically made, and continues to make, to thoroughbred racing,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
“Not only does the Conference promote meaningful change, it symbolises the willingness and ability of many diverse groups and individuals to come together with shared ambitions for the betterment of the sport. This Conference is truly a unique, global meeting place for racing.”
In a ringing endorsement of his continuing strong leadership of the ARF, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges was unanimously re-elected as ARF Chairman by the Executive Council, a position he has held since 2014, having previously served as ARF Chairman from 2007-09.
