Elite status bestowed upon The Everest and All Star Mile
Further black type upgrades spark concern from sectors of the breeding industry
News that 12 Sydney races will receive black type upgrades – aside from elite-status status for The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) and Melbourne’s All Star Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) – has sparked a concerned reaction from sections of the breeding industry.
Despite the ongoing absence of a functioning pattern committee in the country, Racing Australia (RA) on Wednesday announced the $20 million slot race The Everest, and the “special conditions” $2.5 million All Star Mile – would become black type races, going in at the top level with immediate effect.
While that was guardedly welcomed by the powerful Thoroughbred Breeders NSW (TBNSW), news also emerged on Wednesday about status upgrades for a dozen more races – all in Sydney – prompting further wariness. They come despite no news regarding downgrades elsewhere in Australia’s black type pyramid.
In the wake of the news, leading industry figures reiterated calls for the revival of Australia’s pattern committee to make such decisions, comprising representatives from breeders, auction houses and handicappers from each state.
One former long-serving committee member said it appeared the pattern had been “hijacked” by state racing authorities in order to advertise their own races, ignoring its design of showcasing the merits of horses and their offspring at yearling sales, and therefore posing a threat to international buyers’ confidence in Australia’s elite race structure.
The reported upgrades include new black type status for The Invitation (1400m) and The Hunter (1300m) – both at Group 2, while Listed status will be bestowed on Randwick’s The Big Dance (1600m) on Melbourne Cup day.
Meanwhile, Kembla Grange’s The Gong (1600m) is alleged to become a Group 3, Randwick’s Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) a Listed race, while the Five Diamonds (1800m) itself is also Listed.
The new status for next Saturday’s $20 million Everest and March’s $2.5 million All Star Mile – which will carry half the prize money it had in 2022 – bring the number of top tier races in Australia per season to 76.
It follows an apparent rapprochement between the formerly warring major states of NSW and Victoria, which also comes after Racing NSW’s boss Peter V’Landys joined the RA board. That came as V’Landys replaced Russell Balding after his extension as Racing NSW chairman was rejected by state parliament. V’Landys is the only CEO on the board, amongst chairmen and women from other states and territories.
In a brief statement, RA said: “Following the recent agreement and adoption of the Australian Black Type Guidelines by the Racing Australia Board, a review of races under those guidelines is being conducted.
“As a priority, the following races have been determined to have achieved the criteria and will be recognised as a Group 1: The Everest. The All Star Mile.”
“The All Star Mile and The Everest race upgrades have been ratified internationally.
“Whilst these upgrades will take immediate effect, further analysis and review of all black type races is being undertaken with the expectation that further announcements will be made in the near future.”
The last paragraph may refer to recent reports Sydney would also have four other new Group 1s, with upgrades for The Shorts (Gr 2, 1100m), the Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and the Russell Balding Stakes (1300m), and with elevation for the Golden Eagle (1500m) to black type as a Group 1.
That quartet would give Australia 80 Group 1s, close enough to the country’s 96 Group 2s to deeply concern many in the industry that the country’s black type pyramid will be distorted sufficiently so as to lose relevance.
Such a ratio highlights concerns from many in breeding and racing that the fact races are being upgraded while none are being downgraded – or even having their status reviewed by a pattern committee in the traditional and internationally respected way – will dramatically distort the country’s elite race structure.
While few doubt The Everest and All Star Mile have rated highly enough to be declared Group 1s in their past three runnings, many breeding industry figures are understood to be concerned that ratings may become the only criteria for black type status decisions, with no discretion exercised.
TBNSW president Hamish Esplin, while welcoming the Group 1 status for The Everest and All Star Mile, questioned how Wednesday’s many announced decisions were reached, and why the process was conducted behind closed doors.
“On one hand, it’s fantastic to see the Australian pattern system re-enlivened. It’s been far too long that it’s being laying dormant and subject to politics between the various states,” Esplin told ANZ.
“But there is a reason why the term ‘pattern’ has been used for 50 years to describe the nomenclature for elite racing. And that is because all the pieces must fit together.
“No breeder wants a proliferation of too much black type racing, because it undermines the nature of elite racing.
“You have to ask, are these races being upgraded because of the decision of a properly convened committee, with a system of ratings that applies in Asia and the rest of the world?
“Also, like all elite sport, a system of promotion must by definition have a system of relegation. So where does all this leave the other black type races, especially in the spring?
“And do we now live in a world where we just recognise baseline ratings above a definition of what a Group 3 or Group 2 race should be, and if any race clears that hurdle it is given that status?
“Any casual observer can see where this will lead, and that is a proliferation of races which might carry big prize money but which do nothing for the history or the larger engagement of the sport within its traditional parameters.”
Esplin said he was “definitely worried” having too many black type races would dent the confidence of foreign buyers in Australian yearlings.
“The first port of call by any investor in any country is the catalogue,” he said. “That why catalogues have a standardised format throughout the world.
“Within the cataloguing is a narrative – what does this particular race mean? So yes, I’m very concerned for what this could mean for international buyers at Australian yearling sales.”
Asking whether the NSW-Victoria thaw had come because Andrew Jones resigned as Racing Victoria CEO and was replaced by Aaron Morrison, Esplin called for greater transparency in the decision making process.
“The cynic in me, which is large due to five years of inaction, says what were the internal processes involved in the promotion of these races?” he said. “And what does it mean for smaller states that might not benefit from these upgrades?
“We are left none the wiser and we are again left trying to understand why Racing Australia, which is charged with the administration and operation of racing in this country, wants to make announcements by press release. Why is this all being conducted behind closed doors?”
The upgrades also drew a heated response from Glenn Burrows, who served on the pattern committee for 20 years – 12 of them as an auction house representative during his time with Inglis, before he represented breeders after his purchase of Willow Park Stud.
“As a previous long-serving committee member, I’m simply aghast at the decision to upgrade two races to Group 1 without a working pattern committee,” Burrows told ANZ.
“Surely to upgrade races, especially Group 1s not even previously in the pattern, is a huge leap from an international viewpoint.
“The rationale behind Group and Listed race status emerged from breeders and bloodstock auction companies, as is the case worldwide.
“It seems to me that the pattern has now been hijacked by the racing authorities for the purposes of advertising their own races.
“We, as breeders and agents, have worked tirelessly to encourage international investment in our industry and specifically our yearling sales. I’m deeply concerned that if this situation is not addressed immediately then we will lose that respect from an international viewpoint.”
V’Landys was contacted for comment on this article.