Racing Australia Chairman, John Messara, will deliver the keynote speech at the 49^th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities held at the France Galop Offices in Paris, France Monday, 5 October. Mr Messara is also the Chairman of Racing New South Wales, and a prominent international breeder and owner through his Arrowfield Stud.

 “John Messara has been at the forefront of integrating and showcasing the very best of Australian racing and breeding to the rest of the international community,” said Louis Romanet, IFHA Chairman. “We look forward to learning more about the Australian racing model, the development and success of The Championships in Australia, and John’s outlook on global racing.”

Mr Messara has led a dynamic period of reform in New South Wales and Australian racing, including the development of The Championships held for the second consecutive year in 2015. In the thirty years since Arrowfield Stud was established, Mr Messara has built a formidable record as a stallion-maker, breeder, vendor and owner with major sires such as Danehill, Flying Spur, and Redoute’s Choice, and 54 Group One-winning Arrowfield graduates. On the international front, Mr Messara is Vice-Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation, a member of the Australian Pattern Committee, and  a representative of Asia to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

At this year’s International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, two topics will be highlighted. The first theme “The Global Illegal Betting Market” features presentations from Martin Purbrick, Director of Security and Integrity for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Professor Laurent Vidal, Chairman of the ICSS-Sorbonne Sport Integrity Program. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Vice-Chairman of the IFHA will moderate the session. The second main session “Delivering Media and Information to Bettors and Fans” will be moderated by President and COO of The Jockey Club (USA) and IFHA Vice Chairman, Jim Gagliano. Mr Gagliano will facilitate presentations from Alan Byrne, Editor and Chief Executive of the Racing Post, and Brendan Parnell, Managing Director at Tabcorp International.

Also featured at the Conference will be Johnny Weatherby, Chairman of the International Stud Book Committee (ISBC) who will give an outlook on future challenges to the global stud book community. IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet will also detail the Federation’s strategic plan for the coming 3 years in his annual report.

The conference’s full agenda can be found at ifhaonline.org/Default.asp?section=Resources&area=3.

A live video stream of the Open Forum of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities will be available on the IFHA’s website.  A replay of the live video stream and presentations will be available in the days following the conference.

The first International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was organized and hosted by the Société d'Encouragement in Paris, France, on October 9, 1967. Since 1994, the annual conference has been organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities at France Galop.

About IFHA
The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) is the world peak body for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing. Its members are the national racing authorities across the globe which stage Thoroughbred races. 

Major areas of the IFHA’s activities include: 

 
The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). 

Contact:
 
For further details, please contact:
 
Andrew Chesser
Deputy Secretary General, International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA)
Telephone +1 859 224 2741
Email achesser@jockeyclub.com