First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to the Asian Racing Federation for its continuous support to its members throughout the years.
As the Jockey Club of Türkiye, we are dedicated to elevate the racing and breeding sector to new heights in our country. We strive to establish a modern and sustainable framework by embracing sector innovations. By increasing our commitment to education and social responsibility initiatives, we are aiming to foster the growth of the size and the quality of the industry professionals and contribute to broader development.
We, the Jockey Club of Türkiye, are the sole institution authorised to organise horse races in Türkiye, playing a pivotal role in breeding and racing activities, and have become one of the leading contributors to the Turkish economy. With its ten racecourses, seven stud farms and covering stations as well as its training and education centres, the TJK not only provides a significant employment opportunity through its substantial workforce, but also acts and serves with social responsibility, with projects like Equine Therapy in all racecourses free of charge to all children in need, and Mobile Pony Club for children to meet ponies all around the country.
In the last few years, we have made major investments for further development of our sector. These include acquiring 16 stallions from the world's most prestigious bloodlines, among them Daredevil, and bringing them back to Türkiye for the 2025 breeding season, after having served at Lane's End Stud Farm in the United States for the last four seasons.
We also have established a new lighting system at the Antalya Racecourse for night racing, expanded our training centre in Karacabey to include training for lads and farriers, and upgraded our central betting system with a new cutting-edge technology system as well as all the terminals throughout the country.
For the first time in Turkish racing history, we have signed an agreement of content distribution of our local races abroad starting from the end of 2024, and have also started organising fixed odds betting on horse racing in Türkiye since the end of November 2024.
Looking ahead, our collective goal is to continue and expand these initiatives through a comprehensive work program for the future.
I extend my best wishes to the Asian Racing Federation family and members of the horseracing world.
