At The Races agree deal in Japan
At The Races has reached agreement with the Japan Racing Association to broadcast eight of the most prestigious races in the Japanese calendar.
With the exception of the Japan Cup on November 27, all of them will be exclusive to At The Races in the UK and Ireland.
The first of them, the Yasuda Kinen won by Asakusa Den’en, was shown last Sunday morning.
Shuji Kashiwada, the JRA’s London representative, said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement. The JRA is actively seeking to further the internationalisation of Japanese racing.
“We have recently seen the potential for Asian racing in contests such as the Hong Kong Champions Mile, which brought Attraction v Silent Witness to the screens of the UK public, with the rematch between Silent Witness and Bullish Luck in the Yasuda Kinen in Japan.
“With initiatives such as the Asian Mile Challenge Series and the Global Sprint Challenge Series being introduced, the JRA is delighted that the viewing public will have access to this truly international racing.”
Matthew Imi, chief executive of At The Races, added: “We have a 24-hour-a-day broadcast schedule which gives us the flexibility to show international races which are run before 9am Irish time.”
Races included in the deal are the Yasuda Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen, Centaur Stakes, Sprinters Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup, Mile Championship, Japan Cup Dirt and Japan Cup.
