Pattern Committee reduces black-type races
The total number of black-type races in New Zealand has been reduced by eight to 142 races after the New Zealand Pattern Committee (NZPC) completed its annual review of black-type racing.
“A significant decline in the number of races run in recent seasons has seen the New Zealand Pattern race percentage increase to over six per cent,” the NZPC said in its report. “This was generating international concern and affecting the perceived quality of the New Zealand Pattern.”
The eight races that have lost their Listed status are the Staphanos Classic (1950m), the Feilding Cup (2100m), the Levin Stakes (1200m), the Newmarket Handicap (1200m), the Timaru Cup (1600m), the New Zealand St Leger (2600m), the Riverton Cup (2147m) and the Easter Cup (1600m).
In another notable change, the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) has returned to its previous midsummer slot and will be run at Trentham on January 13. This is to avoid the ‘impact of the Karaka Million 3YO Classic’ and enables the race to keep Group 1 status.
In a direct swap with the Levin Classic, the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) has been moved from January to March.
To act as a better lead-in to the Levin Classic, the Auckland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) will switch from New Year’s Day to Boxing Day and will be run over 1400 metres. The Uncle Remus Stakes (Listed, 1400m), previously part of the Boxing Day meeting, has been put back to February.
Another three-year-old feature that has a new position on the calendar is Wanganui’s Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 1200m). Previously run in September, it will this year be held on December 2.
There was also a relocation for Riccarton’s Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m), which was previously run in November as the first stakes race of the season for two-year-olds. It has been a low-rated race in recent years and has been given one last opportunity to retain its status, shifting to the autumn to serve as a lead-up to Riccarton’s other juvenile feature, the Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1200m).
In an additional blow to the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November, the Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) has been downgraded from Group 3 to Listed.
On the other side of the coin, two races were upgraded – most notably the Soliloquy Stakes, which will this year be run at Pukekohe on October 28 and now has Group 2 status.
The Mufhasa Stakes (1400m), run as part of the New Zealand Derby undercard, has been upgraded from Listed to Group 3.