FOR the second time in two months, the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) is bringing in experts from abroad to uplift the standard of horse-racing in the country.
The Philracom on Thursday welcomed to the country Japanese Racing Association Facilities Co. LTD. Director Kazuhiro Youfu and JRA Facilities Co. LTD. Adviser Sadamichi Imabayashi to help raise the standards of the Philippines’ three premier racetracks.
“We are bringing them (JRA executives) here so as to put a standard on all of the racing tracks for them (tracks) to be safe, for the protection of our jockeys and horses when they race,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew Sanchez.
The Philracom chief revealed that Youfu and Imabayashi maintain 10 race tracks in Japan, keeping them safe for all racing events, jockeys and horses.
“They will give individual reports on each of the three race tracks in the country to emphasize kung ano ang kulang, kung paano mako-correct and how to maintain them. And from their findings and recommendation, we will put this as a requirement to the clubs,” added Sanchez.
The Japanese visitors, who planed in Thursday, immediately made a courtesy call on the Philracom board, before heading to MJCI’s San Lazaro Leisure & Business Park at Lantic, Carmona, Cavite; the Saddle & Clubs Leisure Park (Santa Ana Park) Race Track at Sabang, Naic, Cavite, and the Metro Manila Turf Club Race Track in Malvar and Tanauan City, Batangas.
“We figured we have to have a standard na hindi dapat sa amin manggagaling, we are not professionals like them (Japanese) on race track maintenance and care. So that when they do it, it’s really professionals that are telling us how to maintain or even improve the race tracks,” the Philracom chief stressed.
The Philracom has made great strides in the past months in its goal of boosting horse-racing in the country.
Last month, it played host to International racing consultant Ciaran Kennelly, who in turn helped the Commission in its efforts to raise its standards befitting a new member of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
The Philracom achieved a milestone of being formally accepted as a member of the IFHA, whose mission is to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.
The high-profile IFHA executive reviewed the current structure of the Philracom’s Racing Programme and prepared a draft that set up a rating-based handicapping system, the structures that will have to be in place and the maintenance and updating of the ratings.