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17.
Asian racing to
benefit from new changes
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06/03/2003 |
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Dealing
with issues ranging from race planning to international classifications,
delegates at the 29th Asian Racing Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, today
learned of structural changes to the sport that will in the near future further
improve Asia's standing in world racing.
The Asian Racing Federation's (ARF) Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee
(GRPC) has been formed with the goal of establishing common ground between
racing jurisdictions when grading races globally, and discussing developments
matters like an ARF Series, or World Series.
Comprising of members from throughout the Federation, the GRPC will not yet be
responsible for deciding the status of Group races, as that role will remain
with the International Cataloguing and Standards Committee (ICSC). Rather, it
will make recommendations to the ICSC concerning promotions or demotions to
different events in the international calendar.
"Pattern races should be comparable and this advisory body will harmonize
the process by which races are graded. One of the main goals is to consider the
terms of reference of the Federation's GRPC – that is, to establish the
criteria on how member countries formulate their Pattern races, and how we can
raise these to a higher profile internationally," said Mr Winfried
Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director of Racing,
who was chairing today's session, and who also will act as Chairman of the GRPC,
for which the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Senior Handicapper, Mr Ciaran Kennelly,
has been appointed Secretary.
Delegates were also informed of the recent work by the Intercontinental
Thoroughbred Classifications (ITC) committee, which operates under the ARF
banner. The ITC comprises representatives from Australia, Hong Kong, India,
Japan, Macau, Malaysia New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and the
United Arab Emirates, along with South American racing nations.
In time, the ITC will merge with the long-established International
Classifications Committee, which already counts ARF nations as members, said Mr
Kennelly.
"There is a desire amongst many to widen the International Classifications
and introduce consistent criteria for top races. This will be of great benefit
to Asian racing, as ARF countries will have a louder voice in the overall
decision making process."
Mr Kennelly added that the ITC and ICC are due to analyze weight-for-age systems
in an international context to see if they can be improved upon in any way.
"It is imperative that racing jurisdictions pull together to allow greater
transparency in the way we work and to better promote racing," he said
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