Australia loses control of Pattern as APC takes over

[Chief Stipe]

Australia loses control of Pattern as APC takes over – The Straight

thestraight.com.au

https://bitofayarn.com

The Asian Pattern Committee will reshape Australia’s black-type calendar after taking the extraordinary and unprecedented step of stripping the power of the country’s national body to determine what races carry stakes status.https://bitofayarn.com

After years of infighting amongst the principal racing authorities and their delegates on Racing Australia about the Pattern, the organisation has effectively forfeited its right to make changes to its black-type races.

The Asian Racing Federation confirmed on Wednesday that due to the “exceptional circumstances” the APC would now “make decisions regarding the status of all black type races in Australia”.

The international body said it was a short-term measure but has not specified how long the APC would manage Australia’s black-type calendar.

The far-reaching decision, which doesn’t go as far as demoting Australia to a Part II country of the International Cataloguing Standards Blue Book as had been threatened, was made at an APC meeting in Hong Kong on Friday.https://bitofayarn.com

“This means that the APC will now be responsible for making status change decisions (including upgrades and downgrades) for all Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races in Australia,” a carefully worded ARF statement said on Wednesday. 

“These decisions will be reported to the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee (IRPAC) of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, which will subsequently report any significant decisions to the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers (SITA), prior to publication in the International Cataloguing Standards Book.”

IRPAC and SITA have been informed of the ARF’s decision and the APC said it would start making changes to Australia’s black-type calendar prior to the start of the 2026/27 Australian racing season.

“This course of action has been adopted in circumstances where there has not been a properly functioning black type quality control system in Australia since as far back as 2017/18,” the statement said. 

“While the ARF has been extremely patient and provided significant assistance to try to resolve this matter, it determined that action now had to be taken.https://bitofayarn.com

“The action to be undertaken by the APC, under the ARF’s authority, is intended only as a temporary measure.

“The ARF’s strong preference is that, as a Part I country, Australia establishes a functioning black type quality control system operating in accordance with the APC Ground Rules in the near future, and for the above arrangements to end. https://bitofayarn.com

“However, absent such resolution, the ARF will consider other actions that it may need to take.”

Racing Australia chairman Rob Rorrison said RA understood the decision and viewed the situation very seriously.

“I refer to the statement made today by the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) that due to “exceptional circumstances” responsibility for decision-making in relation to the status of Australian Black Type races will fall to the Asian Pattern Committee (APC),” he said in a statement.

“As such, for an undetermined period of time, the Asian Pattern Committee will determine the status of all (Black Type) Australian races including upgrades and downgrades against the Asian Pattern Committee Ground Rules (APCGR).

“Racing Australia fully understands the position taken by the Asian Racing Federation, a position that was fully supported by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), regarding the lack of Australian Black Type quality control which has arisen through there being no approved Australian Black Type Guidelines which comply with the APCGR nor functioning management protocols.”

https://bitofayarn.com

“Racing Australia views this significant decision by the ARF very seriously and commits to collaborate with the APC during this time.  It acknowledges that while decisions in relation to the status of its Black Type races by the APC under the APCGR is not for any fixed period, it is the ARF position that the adoption of APCGR compliant Australian Black Type Guidelines by Racing Australia must be progressed as a matter of priority and failure to do so could lead to other actions being taken.”

Rorrison’s statement said that Racing Australia retains the desire to appoint an Australian Black Type Advisory Group, with members drawn from appropriate stakeholder groups.

Racing Australia delegates thought they had come to an agreement in September last year using proposed ratings-based Black Type Guidelines, but amid an uproar from stakeholders PRAs led by Racing Victoria backed away from the framework.https://bitofayarn.com

Racing NSW, which was in favour of the Black Type Guidelines, has upgraded a suite of races since October 2024 using the policy even though those new and upgraded stakes races weren’t recognised by international authorities.

They were also not reflected in horses’ pedigrees, sale catalogues or stallion records with data providers such as Arion.

[Murray Fish]

Australia and New Zealand are major players in global thoroughbred racing, but they offer different racing ecosystems. The table below provides a clear overview of the current status and historical metrics for both countries.

| **Metric** | **Australia** | **New Zealand** |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Total Races (Annual)** | Approx. 19,400 | 2,423 |
| **Total Black-Type Races** | ~623 (as of last full season) | 150 |
| **Group 1 Races** | 74 (status quo) | 21 |
| **% of Races that are Black-Type** | 3.08% | 6.19% |
| **% of Races that are Group 1** | 0.38% | 0.87% |
| **Key Context** | System under international review; likely changes for 2026/27 season. | Stable, high-quality system with a dense schedule of elite races. |

### 📍 State-by-State Breakdown in Australia
Australia's black-type races are not evenly distributed, with the two largest racing states, **New South Wales (NSW)** and **Victoria (VIC)**, hosting the vast majority of elite events.
*   **New South Wales (NSW)**: Leads the country with **34 Group 1 races** annually, predominantly at Sydney's Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens.
*   **Victoria (VIC)**: Hosts **31 Group 1 races**, with Flemington, Caulfield, and Moonee Valley being the premier venues.
*   **Other States**: **Queensland (QLD)** has 8 Group 1s, **South Australia (SA)** has 4, and **Western Australia (WA)** has 3. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Tasmania (TAS) host lower-tier black-type races.

### 🌍 How Australasia Compares Globally
When placed in an international context, two key insights emerge:
1.  **Raw Numbers vs. Ratios**: While Australia has the **second-highest number of Group 1 races (74) globally** after the USA (108), this represents a smaller percentage (0.38%) of its total races. New Zealand's ratio (0.87%) is more than double Australia's.
2.  **Quality of Elite Races**: Despite debates over quantity, the quality of Australia's top races is world-class. Historically, over **40% of Australia's Group 1 races** have been rated among the world's Top 100 races. In contrast, while New Zealand has a high proportion of black-type races, fewer of its Group 1 events typically rank in the global Top 100.

### ⚠️ Important Context: Australia's Black-Type System in Flux
It is crucial to understand that the Australian figures above represent a status quo that is about to change. Since 2017-18, the country has not had a properly functioning committee to review and downgrade races, leading to an inflated and unbalanced pattern.

In a major development, the **Asian Racing Federation (ARF) has temporarily taken control** of Australia's black-type system to restore international compliance. Key implications include:
*   **Downgrades Expected**: The ARF has identified several races for potential downgrade, including Group 1 events like the Sydney Cup and The Metropolitan.
*   **Future Uncertainty**: While the total number of black-type races could ultimately increase by 5-6%, the composition will change significantly for the 2026/27 season. The goal is to return control to a new, compliant Australian committee in the future.

To summarize, New Zealand offers a dense schedule of high-ratio black-type racing, while Australia provides massive scale and world-class quality at the top, though its system is currently undergoing significant international-led reform.

I hope this detailed comparison is helpful for your analysis. If you are interested in the specific races identified for potential downgrade in Australia, I can provide more details on that list.

[Murray Fish]

1 minute ago, Murray Fish said:

New Zealand's ratio (0.87%) is more than double Australia's