News

Australian Racing Board to take over Stud Book and all data duties

11th Aug 2014

Sydney Morning Herald - Chris Roots - Sunday, 10 August 2014

The Australian Racing Board is set to take control of all administrative racing-data services when it completes buying the Australian Stud Book for $18 million this week.

The Stud Book, started in 1878, has been owned by the Australian Turf Club and Victoria Racing Club since 1910 will be passed to the ARB, which will also take control of Racing Information Services Australia from the Principal Racing Authorities in the next six weeks. ATC chairman Michael Crismale said the sale of the Stud Book had been a drawn-out process but confirmed the ARB was the buyer. The ATC will welcome the banking the $9 million as it continues improve its bottom line.

"The ARB will take control and have all racing-data records centralised, which can only be good for the sport and its integrity," Crismale said. "It has been more then 12 months to get to this point and we should finalise things this week. It is a good result for the club and the industry."

The Stud Book is the Australian thoroughbred industry's library, and it records all stallions and broodmares in Australia as well as the more than 15,000 foals a year. It has the responsibility of recording a brands register and assists with research into and promotion of the breed. It was feared that it would add to the costs for horse owners had it become privately owned. However, the ARB will continue it as an industry asset and an independent body, which has been welcomed by leading breeders. "I think the centralisation of the Stud Book to the ARB will continue it as a world leader," Vinery Stud boss Peter Orton said. "It will be independent of the breeders and there are great benefits in having the administrative part of the business controlled by a body like the ARB."

While obtaining the Stud Book has taken a lot of negotiation by the ARB, taking control of RISA is easier as it owned by the Principal Racing Authority of each state, which make up the ARB. An announcement about the move is due to be made next month. The ARB has long been seen as a toothless tiger since being formed in 1988. Its primary responsibility was the control of the Australian rules of racing and as a national body to represent the sport to governments around the country. It did not have anything to do with the day-to-day running of the sport, which is taken care of by state governing bodies and clubs.

However, by taking on the Stud Book and RISA it will be responsible for the registration of every horse in Australia from birth, throughout its racing and breeding career to death. The Stud Book running in conjunction with the RISA operation will mean all racing registrations will come from one database for the first time. That will give the ARB more power. As a non-profit organisation, ARB will return any profits from the operation of the Stud Book and RISA to the industry. There will be cost savings in bringing the two databases together.