Business Programme

Session 1

09:30 - 11:30

RACING: STATE OF PLAY

The ARF Chairman will deliver an opening keynote, providing an update on key post-pandemic trends in racing, breeding and wagering, and exploring the most pressing issues facing the industry today.

This will be followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion amongst racing’s global leaders, setting the scene for further insightful dialogue over the course of the Conference.

Speakers

Session Chair

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges

Chairman,
Asian Racing Federation CEO,
The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Drew Fleming

President and CEO,
Breeders’ Cup

Masayuki Goto

Vice-Chairman,
Asian Racing Federation Executive Advisor,
Japan Racing Association

Joe Saumarez Smith

Chair,
British Horseracing Authority

Peter V’Landys

CEO,
Racing NSW

Suzanne Eade

CEO,
Horse Racing Ireland

Aaron Morrison

Chief Executive Officer,
Racing Victoria

Session 2

13:30 - 15:00

FANS: GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT

This session will examine the ever-evolving landscape of fan engagement. Global experts across media, racing and sports will draw upon key learnings from racing and other sports – including the use of analytics and machine learning – to develop a blueprint for successfully captivating younger and more diverse audiences.

Speakers

Session Chair

Andrew Harding

Secretary General,
Asian Racing Federation Executive Director, Racing,
The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Fumitaka Tsuruoka

Senior Technical Advisor,
Management Planning Division,
Japan Racing Association

Clare Vigers

Client Services Director, Two Circles

Dennis Hau

Executive Director,
Customer Strategy,
Insights and Innovation, The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Peter V’Landys

CEO,
Racing NSW

Panel Discussion

11:30 - 12:15

STRAIGHT FROM THE SADDLE

JRA star jockeys come together to provide their perspectives on the key issues, challenges and opportunities they face, including the integrity of racing, the wellbeing and safety of racing participants, and the importance of international competition.

Speakers

Christophe Patrice Lemaire

JRA Jockey

Session 3

15:30 - 16:45

POP CULTURE:
BRINGING RACING’S STORIES TO THE FORE

This session will explore the integration of racing into popular culture, from impactful and authentic storytelling that offers behind-the-scenes views into the world of racing, to recent market trends and collaborative commercial partnerships that bring racing’s stories into our everyday lives.

Speakers

Nathan Horrocks

Co-Founder,
JockeyCam and Equine Productions

Toshihiko Nishiyama

General Manager,
Business Consulting Division,
Mitsubishi Research Institute

Janine Hosking

Director and Producer,
A Horse Named Winx

Session 4

09:30 - 11:00

BETTING:
HOW INNOVATION IS CHANGING THE FUTURE

Industry leaders from racing and wagering will convene to explore the latest developments in the wagering space, including the use of digitalisation and other technology to enhance the customer experience, the global reach of the World Pool, and bold predictions for the future of racing and sports betting.

Speakers

Michael Fitzsimons

Executive Director, Wagering Products,
The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Alex Frost

Co-Chair,
World Tote Association

Martin Purbrick

Chairperson,
ARF Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and
Related Financial Crime

Nick Smith LVO

Director of Racing and Public Affairs,
Ascot Racecourse,
UK

Lachlan Fitt

Chief Financial Officer and Deputy CEO,
Entain Australia
and New Zealand

Session 5

11:30 - 13:00

INTEGRITY:
TACKLING NEW-AGE THREATS

Drawing upon the expertise of the ARF Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime, this session will open with an examination of how illegal operators and disruptive technologies are impacting betting markets, the implications for the future of wagering, and how new approaches to bet monitoring can help protect the integrity of racing and sports. The session will then shift gears to a keynote presentation on gene doping and the very real threat it poses to racing.

Speakers

Tom Chignell

Executive Manager,
Racing Integrity & Betting Analysis,
The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Cliodhna Guy

Head of Licensing, Legal & Compliance (Legal Counsel),
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board

Martin Purbrick

Chairperson,
ARF Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime

Ronan O’Laoire

Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice Officer,
Programme on Safeguarding Sport from Corruption and Crime,
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

James Porteous

Research Head,
ARF Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related
Financial Crime Senior Manager,
Due Diligence and Research,
The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Natasha Hamilton

Director,
Racing Australia
Equine Genetics Research Centre

Panel Discussion

14:00 - 14:45

LAND OF THE RISING SUN

Japan’s determined efforts to enhance its thoroughbreds since the late 1970s have led to the huge success of Japanese horses on the global stage. This session will bring together leading industry participants to discuss the most pressing issues facing Japanese racing and breeding.

Speakers

Breeder,
Mishima Stable

Yoshito Yahagi

JRA Trainer

Session 6

14:45 - 16:00

DEVELOPMENTS:
BIG CHANGES ACROSS THE ARF FOOTPRINT

This session will put the spotlight on key racing, wagering and breeding developments in ARF member countries, with forward-thinking leaders discussing key advancements and strategic initiatives in their jurisdictions aimed at promoting and growing the industry now and into the future.

Speakers

Session Chair

Vee Moodley

Chief Executive,
The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa

H.E. Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi

Vice-Chairman,
Asian Racing Federation General Manager and Board Member,
Emirates Racing Authority

Gregory Bortz

Chairman,
Cape Racing

Tom Ryan

Director of Strategy,
Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia

Bruce Sharrock

CEO,
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing

Adrian Todd

Managing Director,
South Africa Equine Health & Protocols NPC

Makoto Yoshida

Executive Vice President, National Association of Racing

Session 7

09:30 -11:00

HORSES:
ENHANCING EQUINE SAFETY &
INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY

This session will open with a keynote presentation exploring a multinational's journey took towards sustainability – including the need to engage with your toughest critics – and lessons for racing and other animal sports.

We will also examine the role of science and technology in safeguarding horse welfare, ways to address the concerns of fans and critics alike, and how racing can better shape the public discourse of the sport.

Speakers

Bob Langert

Corporate Sustainability Expert

Vicky Leonard

Founder,
Kick Collective

Jamie Stier

Executive General
Manager – Integrity
Services,
Racing Victoria Chairman,
IFHA Horse Welfare
Committee

Session 8

11:30 - 13:15

BREEDING:
UNPACKING FUTURE CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

A keynote presentation focusing on Japan’s integrated horse racing model will open this session, and be followed by stimulating panel discussions on the future of breeding in Japan and globally, and exploring major industry issues such as sustainability, stud farm management, talent development and emerging bloodstock trends.

Speakers

Sarah Carmichael

CEO,
International Thoroughbred Breeders’ Federation

Mutsuki Ishimaru

General Manager, International Department,
Japan Racing Association

Hirokazu Okada

President,
Big Red Farm

Antony Thompson

Owner/Director,
Widden Stud Australia

Ignacio Pavlovsky

President,
Haras Carampangue

Naoya Yoshida

President,
Winchester Farm

Shunsuke Yoshida

Vice President,
Northern Farm

Tetsuya Yoshida

Vice President,
Shadai Farm President,
Shadai Race Horse

14:15 - 14:45

KEYNOTE SPEECH BY MASAYUKI GOTO,
Executive Advisor, Japan Racing Association

Masayuki Goto, the long-serving former President and CEO of the JRA who played a major role in elevating the international status of Japanese racing, will deliver a keynote speech on the most promising opportunities and critical challenges for Japanese and global racing going forward.

Speakers

Masayuki Goto

Vice-Chairman,
Asian Racing Federation Executive Advisor,
Japan Racing Association

Session 9

14:45 - 16:15

PARTICIPANTS:
ACHIEVING WELLBEING &
INCLUSIVITY FROM THE TRACK TO THE BOARDROOM

In this session, we will hear from jockeys and racing administrators with their first-hand perspectives on issues critical to the health, safety and mental wellbeing of industry participants, and the importance of enhancing inclusivity at all levels of our sport.