Members of the racing community gathered with politicians at the National Horseracing Museum on Thursday for the launch of the Newmarket Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Industry Forum's (NTRBIF) strategy aimed at maximising “the potential of Newmarket's global status as the home of horseracing”.A document entitled 'The Case for Newmarket' includes a five-point plan focusing on issues relevant to the country town which has been a horseracing hub for more than 400 years and these days is home to more than 2,500 racehorses, 80 trainers, as well as a number of prestigious stud farms. Incorporated in the strategy are matters ranging from town planning which ensures the welfare and safety of horses and their riders, to opportunities for innovation linked to equine science and veterinary research, investing in the racing workforce through the provision of housing and career development, and utilising Newmarket's historical roots for an enhanced visitor experience.Amy Starkey, the former manager of Newmarket Racecourses who has also served as a town councillor, is heading the NTRBIF on behalf of the Jockey Club. She said, “We are at a crucial point in the development of Newmarket and the history of horseracing, and this blueprint for the future is both a plan of action and a call to policymakers to recognise the value of the sport and support it.“By working with partners in local, regional and national government, we hope not only to protect and enhance Newmarket, but to see it flourish and thrive for the benefit of future generations.” In launching the report its authors acknowledged that it is being “published against a backdrop of declining visitor numbers to Newmarket, a reduction in the number of thoroughbred foals being born, a lack of affordable homes specifically for stable staff, and the wider pressure of strategic planning which prioritises local authority housing targets”. They insist, however, that it is “a blueprint for what can be built”. An audience which included West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy among a host of local and district councillors heard how horseracing is the UK's second-most economically significant sport after football and one which contributes £4 billion to the national economy. Named as the “number one horseracing cluster” in the world, Newmarket's historic links to the sport are such that one in three of jobs in the town are linked to racing and breeding and their subsidiary businesses, contributing more than £300 million to the local economy each year. Newmarket's stud farms alone represent £110 million of that sum. Giving the closing address, six-time champion trainer John Gosden referred to the significant investment in the area's stud farms and racing yards by international owners and breeders, leading to the high quality of breeding stock housed locally, which includes the world's two most expensive stallions, Dubawi and Frankel.He added, “We want to be able to work together, not compete with one another. Obviously there are housing issues, but we've got to be intelligent about how we do it. And we're very much in the hands of the councillors here today to try and steer everything in the right direction. “I don't want you to underestimate our business cluster's importance to UK PLC, or to the region. I think with intelligent planning and the backing of local and national government, we can continue to lead, progress, and innovate, and make our region proud of both its past and its future.” The post Strategy Launched to Protect Newmarket’s Future as a Racing World Leader appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.