The International Federation of Racing Authorities (IFHA) announced that its Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Financial Crime (IFHA Council) has expanded its membership to include four additional experts to support integrity in racing and other sports:
- Stefano Caneppele, Associate Professor in Criminology and Deputy Director at the School of Criminal Justice of the University of Lausanne
- Dr Eliot Forbes, CEO, Racing Integrity Board, New Zealand; Chair of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR)
- Jacqui Partridge, Head of Integrity, Cricket Australia
- Marc Van Gestel, Chief Stipendiary Steward, Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)
All four have significant and extensive experience in upholding integrity of racing and other sports and/or combatting financial crime.
“We are excited to welcome our new members,” said Martin Purbrick, Chair of the IFHA Council. “Professor Stefano Caneppele is a leading teacher of sports integrity—having led the delivery of the UEFA ‘Fight the Fix’ training program—and also is an expert researching crime prevention, cybercrime, economic and organized crime. Dr. Eliot Forbes leads the national racing integrity organisation in New Zealand and is an experienced international sports integrity professional. Jacqui Partridge is an expert in sports integrity, having held leading roles with Racing Victoria some years ago and now with Cricket Australia. Marc Van Gestel is one of the leading Stipendiary Stewards in the world of horse racing, with over 30 years of involvement in upholding high standards of integrity, safety, and equine welfare in the Thoroughbred racing industry.
“All four experts will contribute further to the work of the IFHA Council to explain how illegal betting markets present an inherent threat to sports integrity and also bring major social problems such as greater risk of gambling harm and the financing of organised crime.”
About IFHA
The IFHA is a federation of more than 60 racing authorities from different countries and regions in the world. It is the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, seeking to promote all facets of the worldwide sport; protect the welfare of the equine and human athlete; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.
Major areas of the IFHA’s activities include:
- Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering
- Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders
- International race planning and grading (“black type”)
- World rankings
- The fight against equine prohibited substances and practices
- Harmonisation of racing rules
- Certification of IFHA reference laboratories
- Fostering commercial development of the racing industry globally
The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
About the IFHA Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Crime
The IFHA Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Crime is a think tank comprised of members from organizations engaged in horse racing and sports integrity, law enforcement, the UNODC, and academia. In October 2024, it succeeded the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Financial Crime, which was established in 2017, thereby extending the focus worldwide through the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing.
The purpose, objectives, and impact of the original ARF Council have become global, and as such, it outgrew the original regional role. With a global impact, and a global set of stakeholders, and by addressing global issues affecting racing and other sports relating to illegal betting and financial crime, the Council has moved under the auspices of the IFHA to become a global organisation.
The purpose of the IFHA Council is to foster and enhance international co-operation among horse racing operators, regulators, intergovernmental organizations, government agencies, and NGOs in order to better combat the threat of illegal betting and other crime risks to the integrity of the sport of horse racing in particular, as well as sport in general.
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