The 41st Asian Racing Conference (ARC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been a tremendous success over the past week as horseracing collectively addresses challenges and opportunities at a time when the need for global collaboration and cooperation between jurisdictions have never been more important for our sport.
More than 650 delegates from more than 40 nations and regions enjoyed a stimulating and insightful Business Programme featuring 45 speakers with backgrounds in business, sports, breeding, science, media, innovation, integrity, fan engagement, marketing, technology, customer behaviour and equine welfare.
Over the past few days, we have witnessed a host of wonderful presentations, all aimed at securing the sustainable and collective advancement of thoroughbred racing and breeding with the conference title of ‘Honouring Tradition, Shaping the Future’ underlining the need for global unity.
At the outset, I highlighted that we are in a critical phase for racing and breeding, and yet fragmentation within our sport is preventing us from tackling the challenges that confront us. There is a clear need for global collaboration and for fundamental changes to the way we position, promote and operate our sport.
If there is one message that cuts across all our discussions, it was that the future of horse racing is under threat and can only be secured by everyone working together to address the key challenges we face.
I firmly believe we now have a mandate for change, and we must act now and we must think and cooperate globally and implement nationally.
The issues facing horse racing are not new, but they are growing, and so is the urgency with which we must address them. At the ARC this week, we explored the adoption of new technology to revolutionise racing, something which is often spoken about with a mix of excitement and unease.
Mr Danilo McGarry warned us of the perfect storm approaching, and the need to look at AI as an opportunity and not as a threat. He highlighted the importance of getting comfortable with AI – learning what it really is and what it can do for your organisations and for the sport of racing.
The question is no longer whether technology will shape our sport – this conference has shown that it already is. The real question is whether we choose to lead that change or react to it. Technology gives us extraordinary opportunities, bringing us closer to the horse and closer to our customers.
But embracing technology requires more than investment. It requires trust, shared standards, and a willingness to collaborate across borders. If technology is one pillar of our future, collaboration is the foundation beneath it.
In summary, our vision and objectives are clear. Now we must determine how we execute them.
We must create heroes, create global competitions where the best meet the best, and create platforms with holistic storytelling to increase our fan base and promote our sport globally.
We must use technology to create new digital onsite and online experiences. We must be more agile and embrace global initiatives like the World Pool to better compete against sports betting, i-gaming and other entertainment offerings.
We must fight increasing threats posed by the illegal market and the constraints from over-regulation of the legal market. We must have a concerted effort and give a wider remit and more resources to the IFHA Council on Anti-illegal Betting and Related Crime, to prevent over-regulation at the national level.
We must continue our investment in science and technology to minimise the risk of catastrophic breakdowns and sudden death. The ARF Secretariat will develop an action plan of key activities for the short and medium term, to be discussed at the next Executive Council meeting. We will then communicate how we take the next steps together.
We have explored how AI and data analytics are allowing us to properly understand our customers’ changing wants and needs. How advanced broadcast, digital platforms and fan engagement tools are enabling us to reach and stay connected with new audiences in ways previous generations could not imagine.
Further, we have discovered how impactful event activations are changing the face of our racecourses and the race-going experience for a whole new legion of fans globally.
Having talked to many of the participants this week, it is clear that this Conference is widely seen as an enduring success of the Asian Racing Federation and very important in the eyes of the participants who come from all over the world.
I want to thank everyone for their enthusiasm, engagement, and commitment to racing. It is your energy that brought the 41st ARC to life.
Staging such a wonderful event would not have been possible without the wonderful work done by our host, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) and the ARC Organising Committee and I wish to sincerely Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal and his team for doing an exceptional job.
Moderator David Eades was again instrumental in making this Conference a huge success with his expertise, poise and ability to guide the discussions and engage the audience over the past three days.
It is fitting that Riyadh – which has emerged as a horse racing powerhouse in the Gulf Region with the Saudi Cup and is about to enter an exciting new phase with the construction of a new racetrack at Qiddiya City – should host this conference.
Apart from attending stimulating business sessions, ARC attendees were able to immerse themselves in Saudi Arabian culture with its amazing food, music, dancing, art and immense history and I congratulate and thank the JCSA for their efforts.
Following the official announcement that the Racing New Zealand will host the 42nd Conference in Auckland in 2028, I am confident the ARC – which is the largest horse racing convention in the world – will continue to positively influence and shape our sport.
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