Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges

Prize money for the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) will be worth a record HK$118 million in 2023 and will again host the world's richest Group 1 turf races over 1200m, 1600m and 2000m, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Monday. The G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup received a 5.9% increase to HK$36 million, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) has been boosted by 8.3% to HK$26 million, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m) will grow by 6.7% to HK$32 million and the G1 Longines...

Following the news that the domestic prize-money in Hong Kong will increase by 8% during the 2023/24 season, the 2024 FWD Champions Day Group 1 prize-money will also rise to a combined HK$72 million, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. The 2000-metre G1 FWD QEII Cup will be run for a purse of HK$28 million (£2,863,265/€3,240,543/$3,566,929) (+12%), making it the richest 2000-metre turf race in the world. The 1200-metre G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize and the 1600-metre G1 FWD Champions Mile will each hold a purse of HK$22...

Asian Racing Federation Chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was re-elected to another term by the ARF at its Executive Council Meeting in Melbourne on Feb. 14, during the 39th Asian Racing Conference (ARC). Vice-Chairman Masayuki Goto will also serve in the same capacity once again. The pair of appointments will run until the conclusion of the next ARC next year. "I would like to thank the members of the Executive Council who have entrusted me to lead the Federation," said Engelbrecht-Bresges. "With their great support, I look forward to continue working with...

The Year of the Rabbit got off to a racing start for the Hong Kong Jockey Club as its Lunar New Year meeting pulled in HK$2.06 billion (US$255 million) in bets--the biggest daily take since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, the South China Morning Post reported. Punters wagered across the 11 races at Sha Tin on Tuesday and, although the take was beaten by a distance by the record HK$2.54 billion gambled in June 1997, it was a healthy 10.1% increase on last year's event. "We are...

The 39th Asian Racing Conference Business Programme was revealed on Friday. Set for Wednesday, Feb. 15, the ARC Business Programme will begin with "The Landscape", a scene-setting session that will explore the changing landscape of sport. ARF Chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, also CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will share his vision for the future of global racing and the opportunities and the barriers that line that path to that future. Other speakers include Masayuki Goto, Vice-Chairman of ARF and President and CEO of the Japan Racing Association, British Horseracing...

The in-person 2022 Longines World Racing Awards will be held at Banqueting House in London, England on Jan. 17, 2023, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) announced on Friday. The 10th edition of the ceremony will honour the highest-rated horses in the 2022 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings as well as the Longines World's Best Horse Race. Connections of the winners will receive Longines timepieces. The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are established by international handicappers according to the performance of the horses in top races. The highest-rated race...

Bill Nader was named President and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California this past June. He worked as a senior executive at the Hong Kong Jockey Club from 2007 until then, and was formerly the Senior Vice President and COO of the New York Racing Association. He began his career at Rockingham Park in his native Salem, New Hampshire in 1979. Most exciting race you watched this year that wasn't Flightline? Jockey Club Mile on Nov. 20 when Golden Sixty ran down California Spangle with a closing quarter in...

The 56th International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Conference was held Monday in Paris and the focus was on key challenges and opportunities, including the issues of integrity and fan engagement, facing the industry around the globe. "Integrity lies at the foundation of our sport and must inform every decision that we make," said IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. "The pandemic has inherently changed the way that fans and punters enjoy and participate in horse racing. A good digital customer experience is key, and the general trend of digital evolution further...

The International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) General Assembly has unanimously elected Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges as the new IHSC Vice-President. Engelbrecht-Bresges had previously served as the standing representative of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in the IHSC General Assembly. Also the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)'s Chief Executive Officer since 2007, Engelbrecht-Bresges is the Chair of the IFHA and the Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF). "Winfried's expertise in the horse racing industry has been of great value to the work of the IHSC, as is his commitment to...

Full fields. Harmonized rules. Modernized wagering systems and protocols. Transparent officiating. Can these be the future of North American horse racing, and of the greater sport around the world? "Our customers, the bettors, must be at the center of everything we do," Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges told the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF) last week. "This approach applies to everything we do as a sport. Customers must be satisfied with our approach to horse welfare, to harmonizing betting rules, interference rules, the race schedule we...

The International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was held virtually in 2021 for the second consecutive year owing to challenges presented by the global pandemic, and speakers during the 55th edition of the conference-organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities--examined racing's global evolution and future challenges. The conference in its entirety can be accessed via the video link above or as a podcast. Allen Hershkowitz, environmental science advisor to the New York Yankees and founding director and chairman of Sports and Sustainability International, spoke about the threats presented by climate...

Saudi Arabia's $20-million Saudi Cup has been awarded Group 1 status beginning in 2022 it was announced during Monday's virtual meeting of the Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). The move follows the promotion of both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain from Part III to Part II of the ICS Book by the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee (IRPAC). In addition, the Neom Turf Cup, Saudi Derby, STC 1,351 Turf Sprint, Riyadh Dirt Sprint and Red Sea Turf, as well as Bahrain's Bahrain International Trophy...