2026 ARMA Conference Recap

From 20–22 August, Morphettville Racecourse became the meeting point for Australia’s racecourse management community as the Evergreen Turf Australian Racecourse Managers Association (ARMA) Conference took place. For Steriline, it meant three days of connecting with the industry and networking with delegates. Once again, a proud sponsor, Steriline also relished the chance to show off our hometown, opening our manufacturing facility for tours alongside the conference, as well as taking an international visitor from Dubai Racing Club out to see our native animals at Cleland Wildlife Park.

The conference also gave us the chance to showcase our LED advertising sign customisation option for starting gates (pictured above). These advertising screens can also display stall numbers, making changeovers safer and more efficient. This is a real advantage when it comes to back-to-back races, where a smoother process makes all the difference.

Steriline was excited to provide a presentation featuring our Service Technician, Ben Burford. This presentation included a 5-minute video guide of simple steps for racecourse staff to help maintain their starting gate. This is now available on our website here.

We also heard from special guests at the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Dubai Racing Club as they took us behind the scenes, providing presentations of their exceptional world class facilities.

The Thursday night Awards Dinner saw John Fargher from Steriline Racing and John Ridley from the Hong Kong Jockey Club present the scholarship award to Scott Mackinnion from the Sunshine Coast Turf Club. Congratulations to Scott and his dedication to the horse racing industry, we can’t wait to hear about his experience visiting Hong Kong Jockey Club’s world class facilities.

From left to right: John Fargher, Judy Fargher, Scott Mackinnion and John Ridley.

On the Saturday morning, Steriline provided a behind the scenes tour of our manufacturing facility to international guests. This provided an insight into the level of precise detail we go to, ensuring our gates are manufactured to the highest possible standard.

After our tour, next stop was to attend Morphettville Raceday where we were able to present our 20-stall Platinum model Starting Gate in action. With the latest features, this starting gate includes our 135-degree opening spring lock back gates, allowing for safer, faster and smoother loads. Thanks to the Morphettville team, Steriline were able to take a few delegates out to view a start, allowing for a close up of this game changing feature.

Thank you to ARMA, the Morphettville team and all involved for your efforts in creating an exceptional conference. We look forward to next year!