The World Racing Championship is a racing calender with some of the most prestigious races in which horses can gain points. The end of the year winner will be the horse with the most points gained at the different races.

This year, Michael Osborne, from the Curragh, Co. Kildare, Ireland, takes over as Chairman of the World Racing Championships from January this year, having been unanimously elected to the position at a meeting of the board in Dallas Texas on 29th October 2004.

He succeeds Mr James E. Bassett III, Keeneland, who retired from the position on 31st December 2004. The Vice-Chairman, The Duke of Devonshire (Ascot), also retired on that date. A new Vice-Chairman and Executive Committee will be elected at the March meeting.

A veterinary surgeon by profession, Michael Osborne, 70, has become one of the leading personalities in the international thoroughbred industry after a lifetime's work in thoroughbred breeding and racing establishments and with many of racing's top administrative bodies, including the Turf Club, Jockey Club (UK) and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI)

Michael Osborne will lead the thinking process on possible changes to the current system, such as the way that points are attributed and the development into three distics championships related to distance. Other challenges for Osborne are related to the search for sponsorhip.

The constituent organisations of the World Racing Championships Limitedare: Arlington Park Racecourse, Moonee Valley Racing Club, AscotRacecourse, Singapore Turf Club, Japan Racing Association, WoodbineEntertainment Group, France Galop, Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Baden Baden Internationaler Club and Horse Racing Ireland.

The World Racing Series 2005 begins with the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup in Hong Kong on 25th April and runs throughout the year, taking in some of the top flat races in the world: