I had the real pleasure of attending the International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation (ITBF) bi-annual conference in Japan between the 17th and 24th May 2024.
Before I left, I had been told by many people about how good the industry was in Japan, but I wasn't prepared for the shear brilliance of the way that racing and breeding is conducted by the Japanese.
No stone was left unturned, and no expense was spared by both the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association (JBBA) and the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in their hosting of the conference. It was truly first class, just like their industry.
The trip presented not only a wonderful opportunity to experience a world-leading jurisdiction, but also a fantastic chance to speak with people from across the breeding world.
The experience showed me that whilst we can not always hope to replicate everything others do, we can certainly apply pieces to the sport in New Zealand.
It also taught me that the challenges we face here are extremely similar to the rest of the world, and that learning from the positives and negatives of other countries is a valuable tool in seeking to continually evolve here.
Passion from the general public
Not wanting to see me have leisurely start to my first morning in Tokyo after arriving on a flight late the night before, my better-half thought the best use of the free time that Saturday morning presented was to embark on a three-hour guided bike tour around the city. So, naturally she booked that for me, and I was instructed to meet the guide in the hotel lobby at 8.30am.
After exchanging the initial pleasantries and learning of my upcoming 'bike leg of a triathlon' style route around the Tokyo area, it wasn't long until the conversation turned to why I was here.
This sparked what was to be the focal point of our conversation over the next three-hours, a lesson in Japanese pedigrees and racing from an ordinary member of the public, someone with no 'skin in the game', just a genuine fan.
This was to be a pre-cursor to what was replicated thousands of times over, a deep-seated passion by the general public for horse racing, with the horse as the centre piece of the admiration. A key reason as to the success of the Japanese industry and one in which we should keep striding for in New Zealand.
"Show me safely to the bookies"
Another interesting thing I observed early on, was security guards lining the street from the train station up to a majestic building with the JRA logo at the top of it.
On further investigation I learnt that the JRA (one of two governing bodies alongside the NAR) also have ownership and responsibility over the wagering on their meetings.
In true Japanese style, they employ countless security guards to guide people safely towards placing their investment at the 'JRA Wins' bookmaker. This facility was one of only six in the whole of Tokyo where you could place a bet, although online forms of betting are available and naturally account for most of the turnover these days.
I'm not sure whether this will catch on in New Zealand!
The Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse
The first formal excursion of the trip was to attend the Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse and what an experience it was.
The size of the course is imposing and the facilities are first class. We were treated to a VIP room, with five-star hospitality from our exceptional hosts.
There were 12 races on the card and I thought it would be interesting to lay out the programme:
Race | Time | Conditions | Distance | Surface | Field Size | Prizemoney (NZD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10.05am | 3YO F&M - Mdn | 1400m | Dirt | 16 | $108,550 |
2 | 10.30am | 3YO - Mdn | 1600m | Dirt | 16 | $108,550 |
3 | 11.00am | 3YO - Mdn | 1300m | Dirt | 16 | $108,550 |
4 | 11.30am | 3YO - Mdn | 1800m | Turf | 14 | $108,550 |
5 | 12.20pm | 3YO - 1-win class | 1600m | Turf | 11 | $154,124 |
6 | 12.50pm | 4YO + - 1-win class | 1600m | Dirt | 16 | $157,439 |
7 | 1.20pm | 4YO + - 1-win class | 2400m | Turf | 9 | $157,439 |
8 | 1.50pm | 4YO + - 2-win class | 1800m | Turf | 10 | $308,663 |
9 | 2.25pm | 4YO + - 3-win class | 1400m | Turf | 13 | $367,392 |
10 | 3.00pm | 4YO + - 3-win class | 2100m | Dirt | 16 | $367,392 |
11 | 3.40pm | 3YOF Oaks | 2400m | Turf | 18 | $3,368,263 |
12 | 4.25pm | 4YO + - 2-win class | 1600m | Dirt | 15 | $310,009 |
Some of the many observations I made were:
That to the eye, the racing is of an extremely high caliber.
The fields are very spread out, with little to no bumping and dualling during the run.
Of the 168 runners on the card, only three were non-Japanese bred.
The organisation is of the highest standard:
Runners must be in the parade ring 30 minutes before the start. There are no exceptions or horses allowed to go to post early.
The horses NEVER parade out of saddlecloth order.
There wasn't one horse that had trouble loading. This is a combination of there being on average two barrier attendants to every one horse and the early 'equestrian' style education the horses experience as youngsters.
There were about 250 track staff repairing divots on the track between races, they were split into 10 groups of approximately 25 people around the course.
They are able to seamlessly switch between turf and dirt racing on the card, they have five purpose built vehicles curating the dirt course between races!
It is also interesting to note that Tokyo Racecourse has it's own private accommodation facility for jockeys. They must enter this facility 48 hours before race day and surrender their mobile phones at the door!
The best experience for me at the races, was taking a walk out into the crowd and getting myself into the middle of what it feels like to be at a race meeting in Tokyo.
As mentioned before, the facilities at the track are first class. Not only in the corporate areas, but the general admission areas are equally as impressive.
It is set up not only as a racecourse, but as a place where people can come for a day out. There are numerous shops, set across many levels. The 'recreation' areas are set out to be the equal of any public park and garden facility you will find anywhere. The areas in front of the grandstand (which holds 37,000 people and you are allocated seats as if you were at a stadium for any sports game) are huge and allow for the many families that attend to lay down their picnic blankets with military precision for the day. Like I found in the rest of Japan, there isn't a drop of litter anywhere!
It caters for everyone, and I got the feeling it was the 'place to be' in Tokyo on that day - a city with 14 million people.
What really struck me was how much the crowd loved the horse, the jockey's and the racing. Horse, rider and racing take on hero status to these people.
The diversity in age group was also amazing, all with the common goal of taking in their beloved sport. There were groups of friends, 18-19 years old, together at the races, form guide in one hand and camera in the other. Running from the parade ring, through the stand to the course, eager to catch a glimpse of their heroes! Everyone was invested.
It is very much in the Japanese culture to take on these sorts of things and award them hero status. Whilst we never hope to achieve this level of public buy in, there is certainly a lesson to take from this. Marketing the sport to the wider public outside of the racecourse gates, with the horse as the centerpiece, and then hosting them on race day at a venue that caters for all.
Hokkaido
In another show of the incredible generosity of our hosts, the next morning we embarked on our two-day trip to Japan's Northern-most island of Hokkaido, the breeding hub of the country. The flights, accommodation and all of the wonderful hospitality was covered by the JRA and JBBA.
Northern Horse Park
The first stop on the trip was to Northern Horse Park for lunch, a magnificent property owned by the Yoshida family, the legendary racing and breeding family of Shadai and Northern Farm fame.
This has been set up to allow interaction between horses and the public and features many restaurants, activities and nature experiences.
It is also home to the gravesite of the legendary stallion Deep Impact, and it was an honour to be able to visit that.
Northern Park is a horse 'theme park' of sorts, and I think it is an outstanding way of bringing the industry to the public - the large budget available to develop a property of this kind certainly helps of course!
Shadai Stallion Station
From here, we Shadai Stallion Station, also owned by the Yoshida family. This is a stud situated on 30 hectares and is home to over 30 high class stallions.
Connected to Shadai the stallion station is Shiraoi Farm, which is home to the broodmare band and who walk onto the stallion station. There is also Shiraoi Yearling Farm, home to the yearlings once weaned, and the Shadai Horse Clinic - the pre-eminent equine hospital in Japan.
In the group of companies is also Northern Farm, with their world class broodmare band.
We were treated to a stallion parade featuring the likes of Kitasan Black, Lord Kanaola, Maurice, Suave Richard, Contrail and Kazuna.
The highlight of the parade was getting to see Equinox, the worlds best horse of 2023, who is new to the roster at Shadai.
Darley Japan
It was then off to Darley Japan, where stallions Palace Malace, Yoshida, Palace Malace and Epsom Derby Winner Adayar were paraded.
It was a pleasure to listen to Darley Japan President Harry Sweeney, an Irish native who has been in Japan for 30 years, share his views on the breeding and racing picture in the country.
In the winter, Hokkaido regularly sees a metre of snow. Harry was the pioneer of leaving mares out in the snow, prior to this they were housed indoors. In doing this, Harry was able to breed a derby winner from his private farm. Since he did this, everyone has followed suit and he hasn't been able to repeat his feat!
He also spoke of why he felt Japanese racing was so strong, and that there was "no place to hide" regarding establishing the best horses of the crop. 2YO precocity is not desired in Japan, 75% of their Group 1 races are beyond a mile, and it is fast 2000m horses that are the desired horse.
He believed that Japan has the true "progeny testing" of a thoroughbred. Firstly because of the limited number of G1 races, and secondly because the expectation is that stallion prospects stay in training until four and sometimes five. There is then no doubt as to who the very best horses are.
Another display of the publics passion for racing was evidenced at our hotel in Shadaka. The entrance lobby was adorned with racing stars and there was a souvenir shop selling soft toys of the likes of Deep Impact and Equinox.
Shadaka was a small town, but the adoration of the horse was evident through the streets, a Cambridge on steroids!
Shizunai Stallion Station
The next morning saw us visit the Shizunai Stallion Station.
Operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA), it stables 15 stallions and plays a central role in the stallion operations of JBBA.
The site features a clinic, an insemination facility, paddocks, stables, a research centre and an indoor riding arena. In 2006 an export quarantine facility was established to hold Japanese-bred horses in quarantine before they are exported to Australasia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The most interesting point here for me, is that service fees are heavily subsidised by the JBBA and the Japanese Government, and so a high class stallion such as Caravaggio can be stood for NZ$30,000.
This is a fine facility and it was great to see ex-Westbury Stud stallion Makfi parade in such fine fettle, and now retired stallion Johannesburg living out his days happily on the stud.
Japan Racing Association Hidaka Training and Research Centre
That afternoon we visited the Japan Racing Association Hidaka Training and Research Centre. Like the two training centres located in southern Japan, research and refining the best techniques are at the centre of what they do here.
This pre-training and breeding facility is set on 3,700 acres and features a 1000m indoor training track, a 1600m dirt track, 1000m uphill gallop and many other training tracks with a variety of different surfaces.
They also have a broodmare band of 14 and produce foals each year, with continual research into the best techniques of rearing horses. Each year those homebred foals, plus 54 yearlings they purchase elsewhere are pre-trained at the facility and sent to the JRA Breeze Up Sale.
Continuing on the theme, the facility is world class and the study into achieving the very best thoroughbred possible is the sole goal.
We were delivered a fascinating presentation by Yoshiro Endo, who is the Manager of the Training Centre.
He spoke about the research into the pH of Mammary Gland Secretions to accurately predict the foaling date of the mare. They have taken pH levels in pregnant mares and have found that when the pH level hits 6.4, foaling will almost definetly be within 24 to 36 hours of that reading. This has helped them to really refine the foaling process.
They have also conducted research into the outcomes of human assisted foaling vs foaling without human intervention. The main takeaway from this is that the rejection rate fell substantially when no human assistance was given.
Yoshiro spoke about the breaking and early education process at the facility. There was a real emphasis on group training in early education, in their indoor arenas. As I said from observing horses at the races, the techniques of this early education shine through in horse behaviour as a racehorse.
The use of the treadmill and the taking of blood lactate concentration to adjust the training regime was also very interesting. They operate a 'menu system' and use these blood lactate levels to determine what the horse is undertaking.
The trip up to Hokkaido was a fascinating insight into the Japanese breeding industry. The area is not without its challenges however, which is evidenced in the fact that there were 1,238 farms in the area 20 years ago, but now there are 632. This is seen as a serious issue for the Japanese, and there are plenty of abandoned farms to be seen when driving the roads of the area.
It also taught me that despite the land being very good in this area, we are blessed in New Zealand with the quality of our land to raise young thoroughbreds on. That is something that should never be taken for granted.
The relentless push to be the best through research, the latest techniques and professionalism from Japanese breeders was very enlightening.
ITBF General Conference
The IBF conference was held on Thursday 23rd May, which gave the chance to listen to some brilliant insights into the global picture.
The Global Foal Crop
The above table displays the foal crop statistics across the world from 2005-2022.
It's immediately clear that we are in the same position as most across the globe, where the fall since 2005 has been 30% overall.
There are a couple of exceptions, which I will expand on below.
Throughout my conversations with people from other jurisdictions, these two points were unanimous:
The return for breeders has declined. Returns in the lower to middle market have remained stagnant, whilst the costs associated with breeding have risen; and
The challenge around attracting the next generation of fans and most importantly owners into the sport continues to grow.
I wrote about this at length a few weeks ago, and attending this conference has only made my opinion stronger about strengthening the breeding industry:
We need to look at ways of breeding a more commercially attractive product. Be that through things such as partnerships and incentives; and
We need to attract more owners from a broader range of the public, bringing the good old practice of supply and demand in play, creating a better sale return for breeders.
The ability for our currently strong domestic prizemoney position to be sustainable is through a robust and increasing wagering turnover. It only stands to reason that the less horses we breed, the smaller the field sizes. Decreasing field sizes are a big negative for turnover.
I'm not campaigning for a return to the 2005 level foal crop, we couldn't sustain that level of horse, particularly in this day and age. And it is true that we actually still breed more horses than there is demand for, but that shouldn't be an argument to breed less.
We need to look at this another way, how do we look at the financial viability of breeding horses, and improve that to stabilise and increase our foal crop? Again, my opinion is breeding a horse that is more attractive to an increased amount of people looking for them.
Individual starters have fallen by from 5,826 in 2009 to 4,473 in 2022 - consistent with the drop in foal crop. If that level of decline happens in the next 14 year period, I'm not sure what our industry will look like.
It was heartening that when I pitched this philosophy to people from numerous different countries, no one saw it as radical at all!
There are two countries that I want to single out, and they both have a positive number in the far right column of the above foal crop table.
Both of these countries have something in common: they see racing and breeding as one, and they invest in helping the breeder.
Japan:
The two slides below, demonstrate perfectly the philosophy in Japan.
I've already described the penetration of horse racing into the Japanese public, and they pair this alongside assisting breeders with producing the necessary horses.
Written into the Horse Racing Act is the "Breeding Improvement Scheme" which aims to secure stable supply of racehorses for Japanese racing.
The summary given during the presentation was as follows:
It's a slam dunk! And the foal crop has been stable over a 14 year period as a result, with their industry booming and evolving into one of (if not the) best in the world.
France:
Similarly, albeit not as spectacularly as the Japanese, the French have been able to increase their foal crop over this period.
Below shows how the funds are distributed:
And this shows how the breeders incentives play out:
So again, it is clear that a strategy of including the necessity to breed to required amount of horses to support the entire industries pays results. A foal crop increase in the last 14 years.
Every country has different funding models and different levels of turnover and income, but it is my belief that looking at ways to improve the return for the breeder can only strengthen and sustain the racing industry. Lot's of food for thought!
America and Race Track Closure
We heard from Dan Megar, CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association of America, on the impact that closing racecourses has had on breeding in particular states.
It was clear that some tracks in the USA were closed for pure financial gain, and didn't consider the long term cost and impact to the industry. It was a great example of the need to have a strategy for the future when it comes to closing race courses, because what may inject quick financial results may prove to cost far more in the long term.
Chile's 'My 15 Champions'
The Chilean representatives gave a great overview of a scheme in Chile called 'My 15 Champions'.
I thought this was a brilliant long term strategy towards getting new and young people into the industry.
The competition is free to enter, participants get put into teams of 15 and they each choose a horse from the yearling sale to follow through it's racing career.
They get hosted at the races, and there are some nice cash prizes for those who's horses perform well.
The have some lofty targets in terms of numbers, they had 1,700 participants in 2023, heading towards 10,000 this year and are aiming for 50,000 by 2027.
South America
As passionate fans, it is impossible to follow the breeding and racing picture in every country across the world.
I've always been really interested in learning about how other jurisdictions go about things, and a presentation around South America was very enlightening.
Particularly around Argentina, who produce over 6,500 foals and who have a strong foothold in the Japanese market.
Environmental Sustainability in Stud Farming
We heard from Claire Sheppard CEO of the British TBA, and our own Justine Sclater around how environmental impacts have become key considerations when farming horses.
Claire was able to describe an initiative the TBA in England have put in place around carbon calculators for their members.
Justine gave a great overview of the Healthy Rivers Plan in the Waikato and how through research and lobbying, horses were able to be classed differently to ruminant animals.
Political policy can all too often disadvantage the thoroughbred breeding industry, highlighting why being armed with facts is so important.
Welfare
It is undisputed that welfare and the publics perception of racing is the biggest threat to the industry at this time.
Winifried Engelbrecht-Bresges, IFHA Chairman and HKJC CEO, delivered a fantastic presentation on the topic.
It is a topic well traversed, and as I've always said we need to 1) make sure that our standards and behaviour are as best as they can be; and 2) then not be ashamed to talk about the ways in which we care about the horse.
Winifried gave the following challenges and solutions:
Problem: The number of foals annually exceeds the number that make it to the racetrack. Solution: Better align supply with demand and ensure we are equipped with reliable facts and data to address criticism.
Problem: Post racing care, re-homing, retraining, transition to equestrian or breeding. Solution: Develop end-to-end systems which holistically address the entire equine value chain.
Problem: Catastrophic breakdowns and exercise associated sudden death. Solution: Continue to invest in science & technology; further improve policy & regulation.
ITBF Veterinary Conference
We returned to Tokyo and the next day I attended the ITBF Veterinary Conference.
Having seen the disease reports from other countries and contrasting them to ours, it had made me realise the fortunate position we hold in regards to equine health.
I commented in my short presentation to the conference around our report, that whilst we are free from major disease we are certainly conscious of the need to remain highly vigilant and to keep adhering to best practice.
It did highlight the important message on vaccinations, and to ensure that everyone vaccinates their horses. This is a vital part in the ongoing protection of our industry.
Preparedness is key, and that's why the work being carried out by the NZ Equine Health Association towards establishing a national database is so important.
We are in a fortunate position in New Zealand, but its worth noting that we are one incursion away from catastrophe. This was evidenced in the outbreak of EI in Australia a decade ago.
We're an island nation at the bottom of the world with a rigorous view towards biosecurity - let's keep it that way!
A fascinating and alarming presentation at the meeting came from Dr Koji Tsujimira from the Japanese Laboratory of Racing Chemistry. It was centered around the threat posed by gene doping in thoroughbreds. It showcased the excellence of the equine research projects that are carried out by the JRA and JBBA. The breeding and racing world need to be aware of the very significant challenges that are posed by the advent of Gene Doping and related techniques. Japan leads to world in the detection of Gene Doping and it is essential that the industry maintain its zero-tolerance policy in regard to Assisted Reproduction technologies.
A summary of the vet conference:
The ITBF Board is being alerted to the global concern over Equine Herpes virus infections. The risk of an outbreak, particularly the nervous form, at key equine gatherings could be devastating. While significant international research is underway to develop better vaccines and management practices, the lack of a standardized vaccination policy remains a challenge in both racing and breeding sectors. To mitigate risks, strict compliance with documented control and prevention measures in the International Codes of Practice is crucial.
Further international collaboration has been fostered by the ITBF into the condition known as Grass Sickness / Mal Secco. The 2024 ITBF Annual webinar carried a report on a research project in to the prevention of this important disease. The researchers issued a plea for samples from affected horses. Our ITBF Executive member Perdo Hurtado drew to attention the incidence of this disease in Chile, This has led to collaboration and sample sharing between Chile and other countries in South America and the Moredun institute. This is another important example of international collaboration in problem solving in our industry.
The problems arising from false positive test results for Piroplasmosis and Glanders and their adverse consequences for internal movement were reported by many countries. This is an issue that is receiving attention through the International Movement of Horses Committee of the IFHA. The IFHA has funded research into creating new improved test for both diseases but these are not yet to hand and there will be ongoing problems in this regard, for some time to come.
Failure of manufacture of the killed EVA vaccine known as Artervac occurred in Europe in 2023 and as a result no EVA Vaccine was available for the 2024 breeding season in Europe. France, Germany and Ireland worked together to try to obtain an emergency import licence for the well tried, tested and long established live EVA known known as Arvac from the USA. Only Ireland succeeded in obtaining a very small number of Arvac doses, that were only permitted to be given to horses destined for export to countries that require this vaccine for imports. There is great concern that Artervac may not be available again in time for the 2025 breeding season in Europe. The industry has increased the frequency of serological testing of mares prior to mating as a result. Efforts to secure Arvac for the 2025 breeding season are ongoing.
The South African delegation were congratulated on their successful EU audit, which has enabled them to commence direct exports. A report on a similar audit by the UK is also expected shortly. This outcome is the result of years of dedicated research effort and investment by both the industry and Government and in the breeding context allows access to the important genepool that will now become available.
India, which has also been operating in a closed environment, is seeking to host an international racing carnival in 2025. It is hoped that if this initiative succeeds, it to will enhance access to their genepool, which has been nurtured with great skill by leading studfarms in India. This is an important initiative and is worthy of support.
West Nile Virus continues to extend in an arc across Europe that ranges from Spain to Greece and is progressing northwards relentlessly.
A significance surge in equine encephalomyelitis has taken place in Argentina which has necessitated the re-introduction of vaccination.
The continued presence of CEM and EIA are also constant reminders of the vital importance of adherence to the International Codes of Practice.
The importance of Surveillance and its vital role in ensuring frictionless international movement were highlighted by the presentations on the EIDS / ICC and the RESPE system. The recent signing of a twinning arrangement between the Irish Equine Centre and the French based RESPE system are further evidence of the value of international collaboration in this regard as is also the signing of the MOU between Labeo in France and the JRA which relates to improved anti-viral therapy in the control of equine viral infections.
The importance of horsemanship and an understanding on natural behaviour / ethology, particularly in the breeding shed was highlighted. This realisation has a vital role in the introduction of first season sires.
The emergence of the new strain of equine Rotavirus in Kentucky is a very potent threat to our industry. This new strain has caused fatalities and widespread disruption and its spread beyond the boundaries of the USA appears to be inevitable. There is a massive investment in improved diagnostics for the identification of this disease and for the identification of carrier mares and infected foals. State of the Art technology is being used to try to develop a commercially available vaccine.
Summary
In summary, the trip provided everything I thought it would, and in respect to seeing how the Japanese industry operates it provided more.
The old adage "if you are standing still, you're going backwards" certainly applies to thoroughbred breeding and racing worldwide. It is those who innovate and look for constant improvement that fare the best. We are an example of that in New Zealand, where innovation in the wagering and partnership space has seen our domestic racing picture improve immeasurably. Japan are certainly an example of this in everything that they do.
