The 34th Asian Racing Conference came to a close in Istanbul last Friday after four days of intense but very productive discussion. I can tell you that most of the Club delegation really enjoyed their stay in Istanbul, as it's a gorgeous city. As one conference ends, however, a new chapter begins. This is especially true for us at the Club, as the next ARC will be held in Hong Kong in May 2014.
We are honoured to take up the role of hosting this major international racing convocation, as racing is one of the truly world-class Hong Kong brands, and the event offers a unique opportunity to showcase our beautiful and dynamic city to the world. I'm sure it will prove a very exciting experience for the 600-plus delegates and industry leaders from 50 countries who are expected to attend.
The Secretariat of the Asian Racing Federation will also be changing its base from Australia to Hong Kong next month, with ARF Secretary General Andrew Harding moving here to continue holding the same position, while at the same time becoming the Club's Director of Racing Development to oversee developments such as the training of racing professionals across the spectrum, and direct the Club’s role in guiding other emerging nations on the framework of racing development. I see this as a move of great significance for Hong Kong, with the ARF now taking up an increasingly important role in the global development of horse racing. With the Club having earned recognition as an industry leader not only in Asia but also on the world stage, we hope Hong Kong can contribute even more to the development of world racing in the years to come.
While Hong Kong racing is currently enjoying its summer break, a number of top races are taking place across Europe. One of them is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last weekend, an International Group One event over 2400 metres. The winner was German filly Danedream, who you may recall was previously a sensational winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last October. This time she produced another scintillating performance under Andrasch Starke to edge out defending champion Nathaniel by just a nostril. She is the first filly to win this prestigious race since 1983 and the first German winner ever. Starke could not hide his emotion and celebrated together with attending racing fans during his return to the unsaddling area.
These successes have given a huge boost to the prestige and development of the German racing industry. Now Danedream's connections plan to race her back in Germany in the Grosser Preis von Baden, before returning to Longchamp for this year's Arc. It would be a tremendous feat if she could win the Arc again, as no horse has achieved back-to-back successes in the race for more than 30 years now, the last being the famous Irish-trained Alleged in 1977 and 1978. I do hope Danedream can maintain her top form in the coming months and I will certainly be rooting for her.
I'm sure many local sports fans will be putting their focus on the London Olympics for the next 2½ weeks, with the opening ceremony taking place tomorrow night. While naturally I will be paying special attention to athletes from my home country Germany, I will be keeping a close eye on the performances of Hong Kong and China contestants, too.
I'm really delighted to see that Hong Kong has been able to qualify a team for the men's 4 x 100 metres relay, which is an incredible achievement when you consider the high level of competition in this event from the Caribbean, America and Europe. I know that their target is to qualify for the final, and I would like to offer them my very best wishes. May I also wish other Hong Kong athletes having some great results in the coming fortnight.
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