I couldn’t miss being in Riyadh to see Forever Young win the Saudi Cup. It’s no secret that there’s a technology angle to the success Yoshita Yahagi is having with owner Susumu Fujita (owner of Cygames – creators of the Umamusme Pretty Derby Project, the world’s #1 horseracing mobile game) but it’s clear the team have a vastly superior understanding of how light effects health & sleep cycles because not only has Forever Young attained unprecedented globetrotter status (>$29Million in prize money and he hasn’t run in the same country in consecutive start since 2023) but his trainer Yoshita Yahagi and owner Susumu Fujita made history as the world’s first racehorse trainer and owner to ever wear tech that has been pioneered with racehorses (see the chapter on Performance Light Therapy in the HorseTech Market Report) on a winners podium and they’ve achieved it now for the second time at the world’s richest race!
The potential for Forever Young to have another more profitable career as the pioneer of anti-ageing/longevity #HorseFirst Tech spin offs is fascinating and I wonder if sales of ‘Forever Young’ branded blue light or ‘middle of the day light’ filtering glasses could generate more profit than the Saudi Cup prize money? I think it’s clear that Forever Young is being trained by people who have knowledge that is superior than what’s being taught in the corporately captured photonics departments of Universities and this shouldn’t be a surprise when you consider that we’ve just lived through a decade that saw the dominant technology for household/commercial/general light sources shift dramatically from incandescent bulbs to flickering LED lights despite the obvious lack and suppression of high quality medical research. Surely if anyone could commercialise a healthy lighting system pioneered with thoroughbreds it’s the geniuses at Cygames who have helped Japan buck worldwide trends and engage the next generation with the sport of kings with their Umamase Pretty Derby app that has engaged a community that is tens of millions strong and has generated more than $2Billion in revenue.
There was also the incredible 41st Asian Racing Conference being held in Riyadh during the week featuring panels on several HorseTech topics including AI’s and Data Science.
Qiddiya: The world’s first HorseRacing City
It was incredible to learn about and meet with the leadership team behind the Saudi Arabia 2030 Vision that includes a Horseracing City – Qiddiya City – a brand new world-class venue with grass and dirt courses, 21,000 seats, and integrated facilities including a state-of-the-art equine hospital that is set to become the permanent new home of the Saudi Cup,
The passionate drive to the future that racing fans the world over want to see is happening in Saudi Arabia and it’s going to be incredible to watch this modern high tech city develop, We look forward to working with the JCSA to put together a Qiddiya City HorseTech Hackathon – be sure to register your info with us so we can keep you updated on these developments. (CLick here to watch a video of the Qiddiya City exhibition stand):
I get the feeling that this city will help horseracing to innovate with tech like we saw in Formula 1 Racing. Formula 1 could easily spin out innovations because the teams had brands that motorists already used (eg. you could buy a new car with safety equipment, performance tech, material science innovations, telematics, driver aids etc that were pioneered and developed by the manufacturer in the formula 1 industry.
Can you imagine the Qiddiya City powered by HorseTech innovations? Who could compete with LUCID if they decided they would build the worlds first and most ‘Healthy’ electric autonomous vehicle and that they would develop and validate the technology with LUCID stables, foaling boxes, and Horsebox’s that the world could see being used by he worlds most valuable electromagnetically sensitive animals!
Imagine a city that provides its residents with the world’s healthiest and healing waters (developed and validated by racehorses) through their taps, incredible natural and bird populations, etc. Imagine a city that was lit with a healthy lighting system (so there was no need for residents to wear blue filter glasses etc) and where electromagnetic frequencies were tuned to help optimise the health of living things .
Incredible generosity and hospitality
We’ve a huge thank you to the organisers for extending such a generous invitation for our visit. The Saudi hospitality is going to make it impossible to find anyone with a bad word to say about the ARC and SaudiCup because the JCSA are just the most incredible hosts but it was great to see that this extended to everyone working with the horses. Grooms, riders, vets and farriers were looked after and entertained better than I’ve ever seen owners here in Europe!
Saudi Equestrian Culture
I’ve found that in markets were Horseracing is losing it’s not because of the success of other sports but it’s from irrelevance. Visiting a big raceday in Ireland, England or the USA and you will be targeted with marketing campaigns to sell you on the huge commercial prospects of booze and (alcohol assisted!) gambling. In Saudi it’s about the horse, racing with a generous side order of fashion and glamour! The international crowd that gathered were fascinating and the event was incredible for networking and having great conversations with the new friends you will make.
The social aspects of the Asian Racing Conference were incredible and it was great to get to learn about the rich Equestrian culture in the region and get to appreciate some of the similarities betweeen the ancient equestrian history that we have here in Ireland (Land of the Horse & Home of The Thoroughbred). Salman Ahmed Al-Qubeshi (founder of Tour of Riyadh) was our guide to the ancient Diriyah city tour and I would thoroughly recommend him as he was incredibly well informed about the city and especially the roles and work of horses in Saudi Arabias history. When I return I’m going to be sure to bring materials from HorseCountry (a tourism board project in Ireland that is doing great work promoting equestrian experiences within our tourist industry) to share with the JCSA team as it would be amazing if there was a Saudi Arabian version run from Qiddiya City.
VIDEO TO BE ADDED FROM THE SOCIAL TOUR
International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) Conference
The 10th annual IFAR Conference was held on the Monday ahead of the ARC and iit brought together an incredible group of thought leaders, advocates, and stakeholders to share ideas and advance best practices in this vital area. The Conference was brilliantly designed with a visit to the incredible Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia in the morning before delegates were taken back to the Conference centre for a networking lunch and the lecture sessions. Check out the full speaker bios here.
Sadly there wasn’t a livestream or recording of this conference which I think would’ve been a strong strategic move for IFAR to contribute to help protect Horseracing’s social licence to operate (SLO refers to ongoing public acceptance and approval of the sport—essentially, society’s informal permission for the industry to continue without facing widespread opposition, boycotts, regulatory crackdowns, or loss of participation/sponsorship).
It appears from research being conducted by the racing industry that the single biggest welfare-related threat to racing’s SLO in many countries is public concern over what happens to horses after their racing careers end and I think these concerns mostly exist through ignorance eg. most people have no idea that in regions like Japan most of the horses that Equestrians love and care for are thoroughbreds that were hand reared by expert breeders, experienced training in one of the JRA’s amazing training centres and ran on racetracks in front of passionate racing fans.
I think Aftercare is a rational response when the racing industry needs to think irrationally. I have invited Rory Sutherland to make a short viral ‘flip the mindset’ video about Off Track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) that we’ll use to open the ‘HorseTech for Children Conference’ that we have been planning. Hopefully racing industry brands could share and promote it, and racing industry fans could find ways to post on their social media pages and link to it in replies they make to people concerned about what happens to racehorses when they’re not running to win $20Million in prize money at the Saudi Cup.
Watch his think in reverse (reverse benchmarking) piece on Electric Vs Petrol cars to get the general idea:
Imagine Rory Sutherland explaining how if society didn’t have the outdated stereotype of “crazy hot racehorse” and we just always had OTTBs as the default everyday choice for leisure, sport, and amateur riding horses. When the enthusiast showed up talking about “aftercare” no one would even know what he was talking about because for most horses this is what they do most of the time. He’d be saying “Forget about these great OTTB’s – let’s breed and buy these brand-new ‘purpose-bred pleasure breeds’ instead!” and it would be met with bemused audiences with raised eyebrows asking hard questions.
When you adopt the mindset flip: the retired Thoroughbred isn’t waiting for ‘aftercare’ to come and ‘rescue” and retrain it into becoming a good riding horse. In most dimensions that matter for real riding life, it’s already superior and the other breeds are just playing catch-up.
“Does this new pleasure-bred horse go faster or jump higher?” “Well… no, usually not. Thoroughbreds were literally selected for explosive speed and athletic power over generations. Many OTTBs transition beautifully to eventing, show jumping, dressage, fox hunting, or even competitive trail riding precisely because of that elite foundation.”
“Is it more reliable and sound long-term?” “Actually, often the opposite. Many warmbloods, Quarter Horses, or other ‘leisure’ breeds are bred more for docility than raw athletic durability. Retired racehorses have already survived years of intense training and racing stress, they have comprehensive medical history information that you automatically get a copy of — if they’re sound at retirement (and the medical record and RealHorse.com assymetry assessment shows you they are), they frequently stay sound for a long second career. Studies and owner reports show OTTBs can behave and perform comparably or better than non-racing breeds in many ridden contexts.”
“Does it need less specialist care or handling?” “Not at all really. Thoroughbred racehorses benefit from the most study, research and AI tools help you better select them based on the behaviour they’ve demonstrated in professional yards. They read people quickly, and many adapt remarkably well especially if you follow the detailed advice you get with their medical records. Non-OTTB’s might start greener, will have been handled much less and will most likely have been less exposed to varied environments.”
“Is it cheaper to buy and maintain?” “Usually not on purchase. A well-started OTTB often costs far less upfront than a fancy warmblood prospect or even a solid trail-type from another breed. Feed and vet costs? Similar across the board, but the Thoroughbred’s efficiency (big engine in a light frame) can actually make them economical movers.”
“Does it have more natural bravery and scope?” “Generally yes for Thoroughbreds. That famous ‘heart’—the courage under pressure—is why so many excel in eventing, hunting, or Pony Club activities where other breeds might hesitate.”
“Is it more versatile across disciplines?” Thoroughbreds routinely top the charts in second-career conversions: from low-level dressage to high-level eventing, hunters, jumpers, polo, endurance, even therapeutic work. Many pleasure breeds are narrower in talent.
The only real “win” for the hypothetical new pleasure breed? Maybe a bit more immediate plug-and-play calmness for total novices who want zero spark. But even there, plenty of patient, retrained OTTBs become bombproof schoolmasters or trail partners after a proper transition.
Bottom line: if retired Thoroughbreds had been the default “normal” riding horse all along, the idea of deliberately choosing a slower, less athletic, more expensive, less pedigreed alternative would sound bizarre. The ex-racehorse isn’t a compromise—it’s frequently the upgrade in athleticism, character, value, and sheer fun, once you get past the outdated stereotype of “crazy hot racehorse.”
Radical Transparency
I think it’s time for the racing industry to embrace radical transparency and you couldn’t do that any more powerfully than IFAR had the opportunity to do by live broadcasting (or just sharing video recordings of) this incredible forum with keynote presentations from speakers with the influence of His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal.
Live broadcasting panels, discussions, data presentations, success stories, and even difficult challenges (e.g. funding gaps, lack of electronic medical records, etc) shows the public exactly what the industry is doing, planning, and debating and it also ensures information is being shared with the Equestrians who do the hard work caring for Horses and can’t make it to the conference as well as the animal lovers, casual fans, potential new participants, journalists and skeptics who can watch and share the content for free.
We live-streamed the first HorseTech Conference in 2017 and the value was incredible because we experienced how the messages reached and educated a much wider audience than the insiders we’d have reached with just an in-person conference at the Royal Veterinary College in London (at the time people told me I was crazy to offer the livestream free as no one would feel the need tocome or buy a ticket and we actually sold out a week before with tickets sold at £1000 each because we explained to delegates that their generous support was enabling us to share this information so widely).
The best counters to misinformation is the building of proactive narrative because there will always be negative viral stories about ex-racehorses in bad situations because they are such valuable animals that are so versatile for retriaining. It’s only to be expected that such sad storeis will spread quickly online but when a live, unfiltered IFAR conference provides a counter-platform where the industry can address concerns directly, share evidence-based improvements, and show collaboration across stakeholders this produces something far more effective than reactive damage control.
The sport’s social license increasingly depends on proving that racehorses have good lives beyond the track—not just claiming it. Openly streaming a serious, solutions-focused conference on aftercare is one of the most visible, credible ways to prove that commitment to both insiders and the general public.
The sad reality for the soulless nasty people involved in animal abuse (which is the real thing most people are concerned about) is that they don’t consider or too mentally deranged to care about whatever someone once said in a conference room but they wouldn’t want anything to do with the thoroughbred industry in Saudi Arabia if they knew the Judges they’d face were being shown publicly shared videos of the commitment that HRH Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal is making to these noble creatures.
Uniquely Saudi Style: ‘Walk of Fame’ Entrance
The glamorous entrance to the King Abdulaziz Racetrack (“King Abdul Aziz Equestrian Square”) got me thinking it’s about time horseracing tracks upgraded their static photo walls and helped fans produce high quality video content keepsakes. Thanks to the help of the stunning Michele Fischer, Vice President, SIS Content Services I made a short ‘Saudi Cup Walk of Fame” video and I encourage you to send it onto anyone you know working at a racetrack as I think it’s the best way for events to leverage the aspirational social media creation desires of their fans. Imagine if every racetrack upgraded its flowery photo wall’s and produced their own uniquely styled version of a video with their own stamp/branding to help visitors get and share some high quality keepsake media content.
Add some automated cameras strategically placed to capture flattering photos and video that could be edited by an AI to instantly produce powerful highly personalised Saudi Cup 2026 promotional videos for anyone that takes the “Walk of Fame” that they can download (via a QR Code or have sent to their email/mobile address) and with a few button presses share with their connections and social network followers within seconds of arriving at the racecourse.
I also think it’s a great opportunity is it’s not going to cost a racetrack anything more than their focus as most sponsors are desperate to get more value from the partnerships they already have with racecourses, and the millions of views that stunning videos of real horseracing fans arriving at big racedays would receive would bring in a flock of new sponsors (make up brands, fashion retailers, online commerce brands, etc). It could also help better manage and streamline racecourse traffic (customers stopping to make selfie videos create bottleneck that would be easy to avoid by having an automated video production service) and it would be easy for the marketing departments to personalise the themes/colors/logos/etc and add product placements in the videos like you can see I’ve done here with this very simple mock up:
Tech Ban
The Saudi Cup Horseman’s guide was a very interesting development as it stipulated that there was zero tolerance for trainers wanting to use ‘physical treatmeent’ technologies within 2 clear days of the commencement of the race. From discussions with people involved it seems like it was an over reaction based on concerns that the incredible prize money was incentivising excessive use of expensive and powerful technologies that might involve welfare issues and/or could be giving particular horses an unfair advantage.
Obviously I’m in no way impartial in this as I recommend and provide tech to racehorses right up until and after they run in a race. Still I think it’s helpful to list some of the pros and cons I have about this ruling:
+ superficially I think it probably made sense to an administrator with the SaudiCup as it would appear to make the racing more accessible to trainers who don’t neccessarily have the financial or physical access to modern and perhaps expensive tech or for whom it’s simply not practical (as their horses have to arrive on flights and exclusively use only the quarantine barns during their visit etc).
+ it’s been a great advert for HorseTech as it’s making it known that people are taking advantage of technological innovations to win the world’s biggest races. Okay some of it’s a bit extreme (eg. we now have the organisers of the world’s richest race saying your horse can’t step out onto the track from his Hyperbaric chamber!) but up and until this ruling most trainers were able to be silent/secretive about their use of tech to such an extent you wouldn’t know there were using it at all.
+ the ban highlights how much greater integrity there is in the sport of horseracing over any other sports (e.g if human athletes were facing this type of scrutiny they wouldn’t be allowed to use even basic things like toothpaste) and the need for the world to adopt the ‘sport approved’ packaging innovation used widely in Japan with QR Codes etc.
– treating tech like drugs is a dangerous direction because a lot of HorseTech innovations are modern ways of delivering natural therapies that are helping to ensure the world’s most transported animals can move around the world safely (eg. who could make the argument objecting to trainers using Equine Salt Therapy in the Quarantine barn?)… I think we risk entering a confusing era where the smartest trainers are made to look like tech cheats.I Ispoke about the issue with the Jockey Club leadership and this will be reviewed going forward because in Saudi Arabia they probably have the best appreciation of the opportunity that the sport has to embrace technological innovations and advance society and help transform the $Trillion human sickcare industry into a preventative health focused industry that learns from how the world’s most valuable animals have their health optimised.
– banning technology isn’t as simple as it sounds because it’s now pervasive and can be found all over the quarantine stables and not all of it is helpful to racehorses eg. the rubber flooring (that can lead to earthing issues and the uncomfortable build up of electrostatic in thoroughbreds), desalinated water that comes through the taps and self feeders and is produced by some of the worlds most incredibly complex and expensive technologies (this can be dehydrating, oxidative and negatively affect the performance of a horse), LED lights (that can disrupt horse sleep), etc, etc.
– Moores Law is transforming how we care for and optimise horses and this is exemplified by what we’re showcasing at the HorseTech conferences eg. RealHorse – a sponsor of our 2026 conference – has enabled a child with an iPhone to record the newest vital sign something that until now was really only achievable by highly trained Veterinary Professionals using expensive tech like the EquinosisQ – sponsors off our 2017 inaugural conference.
The expensive and poorly understood HorseTech that is being banned from use at the world’s richest race will soon be inexpensive, validated with tech and data, and widely available. The world of horses and equestrians that will benefit from these innovations will owe respect to the pioneers that invested in discovering the value of these interventions, developing the tech and validating it’s use. We must not close the door in the face of innovators and we must appreciate that one day Technologies that today appear complex and expensive (and are maybe even incomprehensible to the vast majority of people working in the sport!) will become just another part of the rich tapestry of equestrian traditions used to provide the ever evolving highest standards of animal care & welfare.
Censorship
Technology in the human health industry already faces huge issues with relation to censorship on public health grounds and this is really obvious to anyone who has experience of both human and veterinary medicine eg. most Doctors are oblivious to how much better custodians of antibiotics Equine Vets are, most human medics know little/nothing about the value of the anti-parasite treatments that Vets prescribe to every Patient that walks in their door, you can’t find a equine vet in the world that recommends their clients routinely add fluoride to their horses water, etc, etc.
One particularly concerning area was that the brilliant ‘Gene Doping’ discussions at the Asian Racing Conference were being held under strictly “Private and Confidential” terms. Now you could easily breach these (which pretty much makes them pointless) but it’s likely you’d just get shut out of any future work in the industry and maybe even banned from participating in the sport. This isn’t great as gene doping is happening, information about gene doping is available online, it’s relatively simple to do, can be done maliciously (eg. by a disgruntled vindictive ex- member of your staff or someone with financial interests that conflict with a particular horse being successful) and that’s before you even think about the mentally disturbed people who want horseracing (the sport responsible for developing the world’s highest standards of animal care and welfare) banned as they could easily take advantage of the ignorance amongst breeders and use genetic doping to end the sport . Essentially the thoroughbred faces an existential threat and understanding issues like Gene Doping are fundamental to the sports future so we must be actively sharing information and not trying to make it any more obscure.
Korean Stewards are blazing a trail with AI’s
My personal HorseTech highlight of the ARC was a masterclass presentation on “AI Technology for Racing Stewards” given by Young Woo(Eric) Lee, Equine Veterinarian and Deputy Cheif Steward of the Korea Racing Authority, at the International Stewards Conference. I’d read a lot about this work from the brilliant Fin Powrie but it was so powerful to hear how it’s received by Stewards who usually report a fear that it’s a way to try and replace them before they start appreciating the opportunity it presents to upskill, become really efficient and completely irreplaceable.
They have established the worlds first centralised hub model for stewarding that enables regional stewards t be assisted from a main centre with the support of real time high speed video and data links to help ensue the same of level of integrity and ‘sentencing’/penalties across all jurisdictions. The system is also already being used have trained AI’s analyse and learn horse’s previous racing positions, jockeys riding styles, trainers tactical changes etc. and they’re also being applied to preventatively enhance safety and do things like detect horse and rider injury risks.
As a first mover it will be fascinating to see how well the startup companies working with the KRA on these public-private cooperations (including Triplett, Smart Sound, and AI PoPet) will scale internationally and it’s looking very promising as the Hong Kong Jockey Club have already expressed interest in using the AI Stewarding review tools developed by Triplett. After the presentation ended a poll revealed that the KRA is leap years ahead of everywhere else in the world in terms of technology adoption.
The presentation was excellent and so much thought had gone into how they use the AIs to provide unbiased evidence to jockeys reducing disputes . They’re also analysing the accuracy of the AI’s they’ve built eg. they’ve found that the automatic whip strike counter version 1 has been found to count with a 82.7% accuracy and their version 2 will be to reach 95% accuracy through refined motion analysis and deep learning. The presentation was accompanied by a great slides that helped with the discussions e.g. key challenges in the modern inquiry room, looking at how AI in Officiating of General Sports and Horse Racing compare, etc.
It was great to meet with the team in Riyadh to make a plan to hold a HorseTech Conference in Korea as it won’t be enough to just have a presentation by the brilliant Young Woo(ERIC) Lee at our next HorseTech Conference. Hard to imagine the future for Korean startups as the powerful chaebols like Samsung, LG, Hyundai and SK get involved as if it happens I have no doubt that Korea will extend the huge lead they have innovating with tech for stewards to quickly become world leaders in a variety of other HorseTech innovation areas as a result of the networking opportunities that our conference there will provide.
Biosecurity Tech
Star of Wonder was scratched from the G1 Saudi Cup on the advice of the JCSA stewards on the morning of the race after it was discovered that the 5 year old horse (that was racing for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Sons) had been administered a topical substance to all four limbs on raceday in contravention of Article 134(10)(4) of the Rules of Racing.
I think this is a complete disaster for the vet, owners, jockeys and the way the news was shared by the Stewards in a short press release doesn’t help the horseracing industry. If it turns out to be the conduct of a highly qualified and experienced Veterinary Professional it highlights how strict zero tolerance rules are completely impractical if there’s not monitoring tech in place.
I’ve long recommended to clients that when their horses are travelling they should be accompanied by tech like Verizon’s AI dashcam but it’s incredible that tech like Novostable isn’t being adopted by raceourses to help deter competitors and their Vets from making genuine mistakes or cheating in these high pressure enviornments because they know that they’re being monitored by the panopticon.
It would also be much easier for the stewards to be able to do their job and clearly communicate the reasons for the scratch if they could share the video of the Vet and groom providing the therapy in their press release. In this case I’m sure that releasing a video of professional Vet tending to a horse in a way that was correct but completely wrongly timed would do much more for the social license of the sport than the statement issued by the Stewards. It would also educate the Racing world much better and help stewards open/close cases much quicker.
Japanese Horseracing Media
Watching the hard working Japanese media has inspired me to add a chapter to the next edition of the HorseTech Market Report on how “HorseRacing Media” to share best practice with the world as it’s clear their storytelling is playing a huge part of the success of the sport in Japan. If you have any ideas or suggestions please share them as the world needs to better understand why for example I could find no Irish media covering the Saudi Cup and how we can turn things around so our Trainer and Jockey talent are drawing crowds of enthusiastic reporters that want to create stories for fans.
Asian Racing Conference
Presentations:
Please like and share the brilliant keynote presentations with your networks as they include invaluable stories and :insights:
The Evolving Global Racing & Sporting Landscape
Ziyad bin Saad Al-Muqrin, CEO, Saudi Arabian Jockey Club: Opening Keynote: “Distinguished delegates – Ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, and welcome to the business programme of the Asian Racing Conference. It is a pleasure to see so many leaders and experts from across the racing world gathered here. Your presence shows the importance of this programme and the value of discussion, shared knowledge and practical collaboration. Racing today operates in a complex global environment. Topics such as governance, integrity, sustainability, technology and commercial growth affect every jurisdiction, regardless of size or location. This business programme has been designed to address these realities in a clear and practical way. This week, you will hear from respected international speakers and industry leaders who will share experience, insight and proven models from across the world. The focus is not only on ideas, but on how those ideas can be applied in real racing environments. For the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, hosting this programme reflects our commitment to learning, partnership and continuous improvement. We know that we cannot achieve our goals alone and that strong racing industries are built through cooperation, transparency and long-term, horse-centric thinking. I encourage you to engage fully in the discussions, to exchange views openly, and to use this opportunity to strengthen professional relationships that extend beyond this conference. Thank you for being here, and I wish you a productive and successful business programme and a wonderful time with us, here in Saudi Arabia”
The Evolving Global Racing and Sporting Landscape Discussion Panel: Kylie Rogers, CEO, Victoria Racing Club: “I think we all know our challenge and that is that core racing fans are diminishing, let’s be honest, there’s a global trend of the festivalisation of sport and it’s incumbent on all sports administrators to create experiences that are more than just the sport and that’s the only way we’re going to be able to widen our fanbase. I think it’s really important that we build authentic relationships with the younger cohort if you get them you’re going to get everyone I mean you know the old Nike adage ‘you get the 14 year old boy and you’ve got the rest of the world ‘so at the VRC and through the Melbourne Cup Carnival we had a really clear strategy on how do we build an authentic withh the younger audiences to then grow from there. As Winfired said they have a lot of options in front of them and their number one question is not how much is it going to cost me it’s is it worth my time they don’t really care about the cost so you really need to know what they want”
Saudi Vision 2030: Giga-Projects and Transformative Role of Equestrianism and Sports
Under Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has identified sports as a key pillar in its broader strategy to enhance tourism, improve public health and attract international investment. The sports sector is expected to drive economic diversification, create job opportunities and foster a more active society. This session will feature a panel discussion exploring how equestrianism and sports are at the heart of the Kingdom’s generational giga-projects.
Panel featured: Tim Hardaway, Equestrian Development, Executive Director, Sports Sector, AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Marc Hewett, Executive Director, Head of Racecourse, Qiddiya Investment Company, Tony Matthews, Chief Delivery Officer, Sports Boulevard Foundation and Tony Partridge, Executive Director, Sports & Wellness, Diriyah Company.
Fan Engagement: Global Broadcasting and Viewership
Experts from racing and sports, media, marketing and broadcasting will examine how today’s audiences are engaging with racing and sports, the changing landscape of global broadcasting and the critical roles of streaming services and media rights in growing viewership.
Rawan Albutairi, CEO, Saudi Exports Federation:
Justin McDonald, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Breeders Cup Limited
Casper Stylsvig, Executive Director, Sports Business, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Fan Engagement Discussion Panel: “the Kingdom has 70% of our population are under the age of 35 and 68% of them associate or consider themselves to be Gamers so how do we make sure that they are engaged all year round especially with the competitions that we have the younger generation at schools and universities with their short attention span. We try to make sure that we have veery personalised sort of experience. So user data, voting in polls, anything to make them feel like they’re playing a video game because as a fan you attend these events and you expect to participate but you can’t just watch” Rawan Albutairi, CEO, Saudi Exports Federation:
Marketing: Major Racing Carnivals
Organisers of major racing carnivals around the world will convene in a panel discussion to explore how impactful event activation can enhance fan engagement and broaden audience appeal, with a focus on innovative strategies and key learnings for enhancing the fan experience at these iconic racing occasions.
HE Ali Abdulrahman Al Ali, Board Member & CEO, Dubai Racing Club,
Mohamed Al Ahmed, General Manager, Jebel Ali Racecourse:
HRH Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, Designer, Entrepreneur and Industry Leader
Felicity Barnard, CEO, Ascot Racecourse:
William C. Carstanjen, CEO, Churchill Downs Incorporated: “One of the special components of this event is it’s the party fro everybody, everyone’s a star at the Kentucky Derby, everyone dresses up men women they all wear their special outfits everyone is people watching and everyone wants to be seen“
Kylie Rogers, CEO, Victoria Racing Club: “finally we used music to do the talking.”
Panel discusson: “I think it goes back to the platforms and using social media as our top of the funnel discovery awareness channel. Ten years ago the only way to communicate. with your fans was through broadcast or how the media was covering you. Now we can kind of create our own stories and create those direct relationships with our fans. We can learn from the content we put out there you know what are these fans interested in? how long are they watching these videos? Looking at all the different analytics to understand what different segments of our fanbase want and you have to kind of cater to all of them. The newer fan might not engage or participate in the sport like the older fan. We know our older fan as Casper Stylsvig said they are driven by the wagering and the newer fan is more in it for some of the storylines and the experiences of going to the racetrack. I think it’s really about making sure you have a solid content plan and you’re speaking to your different audiences appropriately” Justin McDonald, Chief Marketing Officer, Breeders Cup Limited
Racing: AI, Big Data And Virtual Reality
This session will examine how the latest technologies such as Al, big data and virtual reality are propelling innovations and revolutionising the racing and sports landscapes, from how business is conducted to customer engagement to data analytics.
Todd Harple, Director of Innovation and Strategy, Stanford Sports Equity Lab: “In the 1870s, American horse racing was coming alive. The Kentucky Derby and the Preakness began. And at that same time in 1872, a simple question shook the emerging racing scene. Do all four hooves ever leave the ground at once? Sounds trivial right now, doesn’t it? But at the time, not one, no one could answer it. Not trainers, not jockey’s, not scientists. The human eye simply was not fast enough. So Leland Stanford, yes, founder of Stanford University, did something radical. He didn’t argue, he didn’t regulate. He didn’t guess. He commissioned Edward Mybridge, a British photographer, to build a method and a machine that could reveal what biology could not and change how we see. Racing didn’t adopt this mindset. Racing invented it. And I want you to remember that as we think about the heritage of racing. Racing invented new ways of seeing biomechanical insight…. ….We measure everything, yet we often don’t understand anything new. When we dare to see this race differently, its parts all in context, rhythm, and flow, we don’t just improve outcomes, we strengthen the social contract of the sport itself”
Danlo McGarry, Entrepreneur, Ai Expert, Global Board Advisor, Podcaster :
Stephen Smith, Founder, Kitman Labs:
Panel discussion:
Transforming Customer Behaviours
Industry experts will deliver presentations and engage in a panel discussion to discuss the latest trends, cutting-edge developments and significant breakthroughs that are reshaping consumer behaviours in the racing, sports and gaming industries.
Gillon McLachlan, MD & CEO, Tabcorp: “we were a monopoly 25 years ago and we have basically been disrupted and we’ve been on the wrong side of every macro force in wagering in the last 20 years. As wagering has gone from Tote to Fixed Odds, from local to global, from racing to sport, from retail to digital, we’ve been on the opposite wrong side of all that. And our monopoly instincts meant that we were not able to meet that disruption to innovate early enough. I think we’re the perfect example of the company that did not innovate, change and disrupt itself ahead of time.. …the ultimate cost of an inability to innovate and make change ahead of time is that someone makes the change for you”
Scott Daruty, President, Monarch Content Management LLC and Elite Turf Club:
Trecina Kwong, Executive Director, Membership and Customer Excellence, The Hong Kong Jockey Club: “It’s fair to say in today’s world – Experience is about the Marketing. So our challenge becomes how do we actually pivot from the way we look at venues, channels, touch points to a much more experience driven mindset. So our approach is to really create the reasons to engage”
William C. Carstanjen, CEO, Churchill Downs Incorporated:
Transforming Customer Behaviours Panel Discussion:
Integrity
Experts in integrity will address the latest developments, opportunities and challenges in the field, beginning with an overview on key international integrity matters, followed by presentations on the importance of new technological tools to identify integrity threats and the critical role of safeguarding racing’s participants.
Aja Hall, Co-Director of Integrity, Regulation and Safeguarding, British Horseracing Authority:
Jack Zuber, Senior Manager, Racing Integrity & Betting Analysis, The Hong Kong Jockey Club:
Integrity Panel Discussion where the speakers were joined by Douglas Robinson, Director, IFHA Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Crime, Exec Manager, International illegal Betting Research and Liaison, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Louis Weston, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers::
Equine Welfare
Focusing on equine welfare, this session will spotlight racehorse aftercare initiatives globally, as well as how exciting developments in science and technology are being leveraged to minimise the risk of injury in the sport.
Abdullah Alaseeri, Secretary General, Saudi Equestrian Authority.
Eliot Forbes, CEO, Racing Integrity Board of New Zealand.
Lisa Lazarus, CEO, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Celia Marr, Associate Veterinary Specialist, Rossdales Equine Hospital & Diagnostic Centre
Chris Riggs, Director, HKJC Equine Welfare Research Foundation & Chief Advisor, Mainland Veterinary Engagement, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Welfare Panel Discussion: “it is existential by nature, we don’t want to have a situation where we turn around wondering what happened when we lose our industry. I think the welfare expectations are well recognised and well understood and there is no excuse for any jurisdiction to be caught napping in respect to welfare“ Eliot Forbes
The Future Sustainability of Racing & Breeding
Leaders and industry practitioners from racing and breeding will convene in a panel discussion to examine strategies and initiatives to support the sustainability of the industry’s workforce and the challenges presented by declining foal crops worldwide.
Andrew Harding, Secretary General, Asian Racing Federation & Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Abdulkarim Al Adhayani, Owner, Same Farm, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kate Galvin, Nomination Sales & Operating Manager, Jonabell Farm, Godolphin USA
Andrew Hore-Lacy, CEO, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia & Aushorse
Jayne McGivern, CEO, Sports Boulevard Foundation
Annise Montplaisir, coFounder & Executive Director, Amplify Horse Racing
Philip Newton, Chair, Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Stu Rowson, CEO , Lucky Socks Media:
The Future Sustainability of Racing & Breeding Panel discussion (Part 1):
The Future Sustainability of Racing & Breeding Panel discussion (Part 2):
#ARC26 Exhibition Floor: BedMax
BedMax Shavings are large flake pine shavings that are made specially to provide the ideal bedding for horses. The success of the product comes from the unique specification of production in the UK that produces a 100% natural bedding that minimises airborne dust and provides a bed that maximises hoof health, support, protection, hygiene and biosecurity. When only the very best will do…
#ARC26 Exhibition Floor: BidXSell
BidXSell is a Saudi-based next generation online auction platform for thoroughbred auctions that aims to help the worldwide industry avoid the costs and geographical limitations of traditional auctions. The company is seeking to become the digital backbone of sales in high growth Asian and Middle Eastern markets and has already helped breeders in the USA find customers.
HorseTech Conference plans:
There is now a groundswell of interest in technological innovation amongst the most senior leaders in the sport and their interest meant I quickly ran out of the printed copies of the HorseTech Market Report that I brought out to Riyahd with me. We’d of never imagined we’d do so much new business and there are now some incredible discussions to produce HorseTech conferences to follow up on.
If we can keep up you can now expect HorseTech Conferences in Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Korea, Turkey, Dubai, Vietnam, France, Australia and India so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to get involved, contribute a chapter to the HorseTech Market Report, work with us on a HorseTech project or you’d like an introduction to any of the incredible HorseTech innovators that have presented at our Conferences since 2017, contributed to our completely free HorseTech Market Report and have so generously supported our work.