Hong Kong leads the way at 35th Asian Racing Conference
The 35th Asian Racing Conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre starts today, with an opening ceremony and gala dinner officiated by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) ,Leung Chun-ying. Over the following three days, May 6-8, the conference will be a fascinating assembly of some of the best minds from within and outside the sport of horse racing from around the world.
The 35th ARC is the biggest ever in the 54-year history of the conference and is being organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). It has attracted almost 800 delegates from more than 40 jurisdictions,
including those from outside the Asian region, such as racing powerhouses like the UK, France, Ireland and America. There are also delegates from countries as diverse as Chile, Grenada, Iran and Nigeria. The 35th ARC is without question the largest event of its kind in the world.
The ARC, which is held approximately every 18 months, is always a key milestone in the international racing industry calendar. It is the marketplace for ideas, and the mission of the conference is that the ideas that are presented and discussed will take flower and make a positive difference in the world of racing.
This is the third time that Hong Kong has hosted the Asian Racing Conference and the first time since the return of sovereignty to China in 1997. In the 23 year period since its last hosting in 1991, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and racing in Hong Kong have experienced an amazing journey of growth, which brings a special significance to Hong Kong hosting this event. The first ARC held in Hong Kong took place in 1978.
The recent success Hong Kong enjoyed in the Dubai World Cup meeting in March, when its horses won two of the major races, and the fact that 21 horses from Hong Kong (out of a population of just 1,200) were featured in the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings of 2013, show how far racing in the region has come. In terms of proportion to the population, having 21 horses ranked among the world’s elite is an unparalleled achievement, far ahead of any other racing jurisdiction.
The biggest races in Hong Kong have shown significant progress over the years too. The first Hong Kong Invitation Cup was run in 1988, when overseas entries were confined to Malaysia and Singapore.
Now, there are six international Group One races (the highest class of race in the world) run each year at Sha Tin Racecourse, and five of those six are in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ top 50 races in the world.
Tonight sees the opening ceremony and gala dinner of the 35th Asian Racing Conference, at which the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Leung Chun-ying, will strike a ceremonial gong to signal the start of the event. For the three main days of the conference, there will be 15 business sessions, covering all of the key issues in horse racing around the world. The subjects range from the future of betting on horse racing and the international movement of horses, to the integrity of racing and cutting-edge technology in sports TV.