Tasmanian address at Asian Racing Conference

Wednesday 27 January 2016

Tasracing chief executive officer Dr Eliot Forbes has used an address to an international audience at the 36th Asian Racing Conference in Mumbai in India today (27 January) to create awareness of Tasmanian racing.

One of only a handful of Australians speaking at the event, Dr Forbes said securing a presentation spot was not only a coup for Tasmania but a key opportunity to promote Tasmanian racing.

Speaking in the marketing business session, Dr Forbes’s topic was “Tasracing: growth through innovation”.

Dr Forbes used the presentation to highlight the company’s three year 30 per cent uplift in wagering and the role important racing innovations such as StrideMASTER sectional timing devices had played in this increase.

“Tasracing earned $475,000 from international returns from Sky last year,” he said.

“The presentation provided an unparalleled opportunity to update existing international partners and reach many prospective markets at the same time.”

The Asian Racing Conference is held every two years and is attended by more than 600 delegates from racing countries throughout the world.

The conference theme this year is “Galloping ahead globally”, highlighting the interconnected nature of the world racing scene.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chairman of the Asian Racing Federation and chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the conference provided an essential forum for exchange and the testing of ideas and innovations.

“As we commence the 36th ARC, the reality is that as a sport and an industry, we still confront many complex issues across a wide range of subjects that stretches from addressing hygiene issues like the movement of horses for international competition, to important strategic initiatives to ensure the sustainability of racing in a fast changing competitive environment,” he said.

The highlight of the Dr Forbes’ presentation was a short video on Tasracing’s unique brand proposition, which is a discrete participant pool combined with superior form, provided by technologies like StrideMASTER, gives punters an edge.

Tasracing’s video is available at the following link: StrideMASTER Live