The Japan Racing Association ("JRA") is set to open 111 of the 221 races that carry Group or Listed status by 2007 to foreign horses.

That's a bit of a jump from the JRA's current ceiling of 22 races.

58 races will be offered this year and 85 next year.

The surprise shift in focus apparently relates to Japan's desire to increase support of racing at the local level plus seek promotion of the races from Part II to Part I of the Blue Book (published by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee) which is used by sales' companies to record black-type races.

The new policy is expected to also result in an increased number of Japanese horses racing overseas given that the criteria for inclusion in Part I of The Blue Book is that "a country should prove the quality of its best horses by racing them outside their own country".