Whether some Australians or some Asians like it or not we are an extension of each other's racing product and that is only going to become more apparent as the continual inter-twining of our industries take place. To think anything else is merely to draw on old out-dated parochialisms, deny the reality of our proximity to each other and to cling to some idealistic notion that one product or the other is not in need of the others.
These perceived halcyon "daze" hankerings are, of course, totally debunked by the facts. Attitudes have changed considerably in the last two decades and the current global financial position will force even more changes on racing authorities and participants in both Asia and Australia till the lines between Asia's world class products in Singapore. Hong Kong and Macau in particular and Australia become almost indefinable.
Of course there will be luddites trying to keep the demarcation lines in place, because "us and them" attitudes will always exist in the feeble-minded, but by and large those people are mainly found in Governments, some sections of the media who feel parochialism is a form of journalism and one in a hundred people that dislike any form of change.
It galls me beyond belief when I see some sections of our own media taking these unrealistic stances, decrying the haemorrhaging of quality horses from Australia to certain Asian destinations, using cathphrases like "we do not need them coming here taking our best horses and we receive nothing in return."
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth - the person who previously owned the horse did not have it "taken" from him or the country - he actually was the "taker" receiving a bucketload of cash for the promising horse, which in turn helps the Australian economy.
The measure of the closeness of southern hemisphere racing crept up for about a decade, but in the last 10 years it has escalated both in real outcomes and attitudinal approaches.
In former years Australians saw their role in Asian racing as selling horses, selling their skills and taking key participatory roles in the industry across all its facets. This has not changed to any great extent except that now there is the advent of an influx of South Africans and some northern hemisphere identities that have carved out equally successful niches in the Asian racing market.
To a large extent northern hemisphere competitors in the Asian racing market were for some time confined to Indian racing in the days of the British Raj and large wealthy Indian Maharajahs who controlled racing in India but sadly, India racing as an international attraction has since died or stagnated to the stage that only a few jockeys, mainly from Britian and Ireland like Niall McCullough now see the sub-continent as any real part of the global racing scene.
But while India stagnated from its heady heights, Hong Kong began to emerge. From the days when Australian jockeys like Peter Miers, Gary Moore and Billy Burnett began to ride there some 30 years ago while George Podmore headed for the then Malaya, racing in South-East Asia began to grow and rapidly.
The benefits may not be apparent to the luddite but for those who actually know the industry - they have been significant. The export of horses and expertise into Asia has brought countless millions of dollars into Australia. The export of the expertise has also helped elevate the Asian product to what it is today - world class. Long gone are the days when expats from other countries were in a class of their own in Asian racing. Sure, they still figure prominently but we now have trainers like Ricky Yiu, Almond Lee, Desmond Koh, Charles Leck, Malcolm Thwaites, Mohammed Yusof, Tony Cruz and co that are more than capable of mixing it against the expats like Laurie Laxon, John Meagher, David Ferraris, Stephen Gray, John and Gary Moore, Geoff Allendorf, John Size etc.
Tony Cruz is widely regarded as the first of the truly world class Asian jockeys and for a considerable period he held that mantle on his own, but times have changed. Riders like Howard Cheng, Saimee Jumaat, Benny Woodworth, Matty Chadwick, Eddie and Alex Lai, Din Azis, Derek Leung, K.B. Soo and co have more than held their own against a plethora of champion jockeys that have included Gerald Mosse, Eric St Martin, Darren Beadman, Brett Prebble, Michael Cahill, Shane Dye, Johnny Powell, Oscar Chavez, Olivier Doleuze etc.
In fact Saimee and Woodworth are two jockeys that would be successful wherever they went and are truly world class.
The international input into Asian centres has played no small role in the development of their own home grown world class talents. Australia has played no small role there. Terry Wong and Matty Chadwick are prime examples with both spending periods of their apprenticeship in Australia before returning to Hong Kong as a finished product and Chadwick in particular can easily be described as the most outstanding Hong Kong apprentice since Tony Cruz, who he is ironically indentured to.
Not only has all these exchanges brought considerable financial benefit to both sides in the equation, it has an invaluable intangible that has lifted the main Asian racing centres into the cosmos.
Australia now bets on Singaporean and Hong Kong racing and I do not think the introduction of racing from Macau can be all that far away. Singapore has now incorporated Australian product into its betting regime and with more off course betting outlets due to be rolled out in Singapore (in addition to the 12 already existing betting centres) in the next 12 months the familiarity in our racing will only become closer.
The challenge now for all, participants and authorities is to capitalise on the changes that have happened, many without even having been pushed, and see a melding of our products that can only benefit all of South East Asia and Australia.
It is pleasing to see that in its forward planning Racing Victoria has made plans that have one eye firmly placed on the Asian marketplace. From 2011 there will be two night meetings a week - 40 weeks of the year - from Melbourne packaged uip in line with the Asian meetings from Singapore and Hong Kong.
Racing NSW has yet to join that bandwaggon - but surely in spite of constant Asian knockers like Ken Callendar - it is a course they must follow.
Singapore is building a large number of new stables at the back of Kranji racecourse to cater for the additional horse populartion needed for its permanent switch to twice weekly racing. Many trainers have lauded to advent of the new Polytrack in Singapore and I was only talking to leading trainer, Kiwi expat Stephen Gray on the telephone today and he could not speak highly enough of the Polytrack.
The opportunities and benefits of continually integrating our product are quantum for both sides. For the racing authorities the challenges facing them to maintain participation levels, stop the seepage of the gambling dollar to other forms such as the new casinos in Macau, the soon to be opened casino on Sentosa Island in Singapore, the still flourishing SP betting operations, particularly in Mainland China where they actually bet on Australian racing through hijacked satellite broadcasts, maintaining the healthy crowd levels that are still experienced in Asia and the growing of pools is vital.
It is not out of the question that with forward thinking governments and officialdom that Pan-Asian pools would be a benefit, they would certainly bolster dividends and make the corporate bookmakers less competitive than is currently the case.
Racing authorities have to make concerted representation to governments to ensure that racing is treated as an industry and as such as is eligible for business migration procedures, cross Asian work visas etc.
For participants ownership on a Pan Asian basis has great benefits. Pan Asian syndication is something that will happen sooner or later and I can foresee a "SKY Asia" racing channel that focuses on the main Australian meetings and meetings from Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau that will be seen throughout Asia and Australia.
For far too long Australia has concentrated on the traffic out of Australia and not focused sufficiently on the traffic that could come in. This is gradually changing and Platinum Racing intends to explore those opportunities fully in the forthcoming 12 months - and it is hoped that we have an office in Singapore within three months, extend our focus into Macau within six months and race horses both domestically and in Asia with partners from both ends of the hemisphere.
To this end Platinum has already begun negotiations in Singapore with trainers Desmond Koh and Stephen Gray, racing identities Philip Ho, Wong (Steven) Tsien Tong, businessman Chiang See Poh and other players in the local scene.
We are also currently discussing our Asian expansion with James Carstairs from the Macau Racing Club a leading syndication outfit in Macau. James' family raced champion galloper Cape Of Good Hope and James currently has horses in work with Macau with former top Australian jockey, now trainer Geoff Allendorf.
There will be some who will always resist the change - but they should be ignored. They are in the minority. The real "international thinkers" in Australian racing are already carving our Pan-Asian niches for themselves, their companies, their services and their product.
Those who resist will only end up getting left behind. I fear the Australian racing authorities have somewhat foolishly seen Asian racing as a poor releation that is dependent in the past. The move by Racing Victoria shows that this is no longer a view that is widely held in Australia and for some time it has not been the view that is prevalent in Asia.
There is little doubt the closer we work together the stronger our products will become, and the stronger they become the better prepared they are in times of economic uncertainty, at times when online gaming, casinos, sportsbetting and other forms of gambling make inroads into the racing dollar and competition gets tougher and when racing is trying to package a quality product to attract the next generation of owners, punters, breeders, jockeys and trainers, a strong and combined front is needed.
If this can occur at the grass roots level it will have more impact as it will drive the reluctant politicians and sometimes hesitant authorities to continue to work together for the betterment of Australia and Asia.