Australia loses control of Pattern as APC takes over

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.

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.

“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.

“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. 

“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.”

“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.

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.