The 40^th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) will be held in its inaugural host country in 2024 with the Japan Racing Association (JRA), in conjunction with the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), to stage the conference in Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido.

The host for the 2024 event was announced during last week’s 39^th ARC in Melbourne, Australia, with Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, ARF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, describing the return to Japan as especially appropriate.

“The 40^th ARC is a milestone for the ARF-convened conferences, which have evolved to be the leading global conference in the racing world and fittingly it returns for the fifth time to Japan where the first ARC was held in Tokyo in 1960,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

The first seed of the ARF was planted in 1960 with the Tokyo conference led by Count Todamasa Sakai, then President of the JRA, and Mr U Chit Khine, of the Rangoon Turf Club.

“Since the very first conference was held in 1960, the ARCs have developed into an important international forum for the sharing of ideas between some of the most influential leaders in global racing and sport,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

Mr Masayuki Goto, President and CEO of the JRA, said: “On behalf of the Japanese racing industry, I would like to extend my deep thanks to the ARF for selecting Sapporo as the host of the next Conference. It is fitting that the next conference will be held on the island of Hokkaido, as horses and horse culture have played a major role in Hokkaido's history of pioneering the land”.

Hokkaido is Japan’s largest thoroughbred breeding area, with more than 95% of its thoroughbreds competing on the international stage.