Australian export case study Horse racing has become a global industry.
“Top race horses are constantly moved around the world today. They are very valuable indeed and safety on the track is a big issue,” says John Fargher, Managing Director of Steriline Racing, the world’s leading manufacturer of starting gates.
“Horses are often nervous at the beginning of a race, so it is important that everything works smoothly when a horse enters the starting gate.
“Steriline’s starting gates have been designed for safety,” Mr. Fargher said. “They are quiet, with padding specifically designed to protect not only the horses but also the jockeys and horse handlers.”
While Steriline Racing specialises in the design, manufacture, installation and service of starting gates, the company’s wide range of equipment for the racing industry also includes running rails, stewards’ towers, recall systems, chute guides, training gates and greyhound boxes.
The majority of Australia’s racetracks use Steriline, as do racetracks in 47 countries around the world.
Among the company’s most recent installations is the largest starting gate ever manufactured anywhere – twenty-five stalls in a single span – for the Flemington Racecourse where the famous Melbourne Cup is run every November. Major export markets One of Steriline’s major export markets is the Middle East where the company supplied new starting gates for this year’s Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest race, for Emirates Racing.
Over the past fifty years, Steriline equipment has been installed all over the Middle East including at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club; the Bahrain Equestrian & Horse Racing Club; the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, UAE; the Jebel Ali Racecourse, UAE; the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club; the Saudi Arabian Al Janadriyah Equestrian Club; the Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club; and the State of Kuwait Hunting & Equestrian Club.
Mr Fargher credits Austrade in helping the company open up new markets, especially in the Middle East.
“We have worked closely with Austrade in Saudi Arabia and have found them particularly helpful in bridging cultural and language barriers,” he said. |