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| Staff Writer |
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The sands of time are shifting in global horse racing, with Saudi Arabia poised to take centre stage as it prepares to host the 41st Asian Racing Conference in 2026. The announcement, made at the closing ceremony of the 2024 event in Sapporo, Japan, marks a significant milestone for the Kingdom's burgeoning racing industry.
In a ceremony steeped in tradition, HRH Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal, Chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA), accepted the mantle from the Japan Racing Association (JRA). The Prince's words echoed the sentiment of a nation ready to showcase its deep-rooted equine heritage to the world.
"As a relatively new racing jurisdiction on the global stage, Saudi Arabia was delighted to be selected as the venue for the 41st Asian Racing Conference," Prince Bandar declared. "We thank the Asian Racing Federation for this honour and we plan to give this prestigious event the platform it deserves back home in Riyadh, taking the opportunity to showcase both our sport and our country."
The biennial conference, organised in conjunction with the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), is a crucible of ideas for the sport's luminaries. Industry executives, owners, and experts converge to tackle the challenges facing global racing and chart its future course.
This will be only the second time the Arabian Peninsula has played host to this esteemed gathering, following Dubai's successful staging of the 31st edition in 2007. That event saw discussions on topics ranging from integrity in racing to the growth of international competition, themes that are likely to feature prominently in 2026.
The conference's journey from its 1960 Tokyo debut to the sand-swept vistas of Riyadh is a testament to racing's evolving landscape. Japan, a four-time host, most recently in 2008, has set a high bar for organisation and hospitality.
Previous conferences have seen pivotal discussions on matters such as the harmonisation of rules across jurisdictions and the promotion of racing to new audiences. The 2022 edition in Melbourne, hosted by Racing Victoria, focused on innovation and sustainability in the sport, with Winx's trainer Chris Waller delivering a keynote address on horse welfare.
Prince Bandar's words resonated with the weight of history: "If Japan is where the Asian Racing Conference was given life, then the Arabian Peninsula is where the roots of the modern-day racehorse were established, hundreds of years ago through the foundation sires."
Indeed, the Kingdom's racing ambitions have been gaining momentum. The Saudi Cup, first run in 2020, quickly established itself as the world's richest race. Winners like Mishriff and Panthalassa have gone on to Group One glory around the globe, cementing the race's status as a true international contest.
As the JCSA prepares to welcome an estimated 1,000 delegates in 2026, the eyes of the racing world will turn to Riyadh. With its deep-seated equine traditions and ambitious vision for the future, Saudi Arabia stands ready to add its own chapter to the storied history of the Asian Racing Conference.