APC Rejects 40-Plus Proposed Upgrades in Australia

Racing Australia will go back to the drawing board this week after a bid to make four more NSW races group 1s—and upgrade more than 40 other events around the country without making downgrades—was rejected by the Asian Racing Federation's Asian Pattern Committee. Australia's black-type impasse continues as the move for a vast suite of upgrades was rejected at last Thursday's meeting of the APC. ANZ News understands that following a push by Racing NSW, a proposal was put to the APC to upgrade four Randwick races to group 1 level. This would have encompassed adding the AU$10 million Golden Eagle (1,500 meters) and the AU$3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1,300 meters) to the black type pattern on the top rung, while also upgrading key Everest (G1, 1,200 meters) lead-up the Premier Stakes (G2, 1,200 meters) and the autumn's Apollo Stakes (G2, 1,400 meters)—races currently worth AU$1 million and AU$300,000 respectively. But ANZ News also understands RA went to the APC seeking approval for upgrades to more than 40 other races across the country. These did not include any mooted new group 1s. All proposed upgrades were rejected by the APC on the grounds that Australia does not have a proper black-type committee to decide on the status of races, and does not operate under an APC-approved system of ground rules for determining the pattern, ANZ understands. Lengthy debate on Australia's broken black type situation, and on possible ways to resolve it, ensued at the meeting. RA attended the Zoom conference after its scheduled board meeting late last month—which would have aimed to achieve a resolution to Australia's black type shambles—was cancelled at the last minute, due to a realization agreement between the states was highly unlikely. Late last year, the national body put forward a new system of black-type guidelines to address both the fact that Australia has not had a pattern committee since 2018, and legal advice that, because of the country's federated state system, traditional ways of determining the pattern across the country could run counter to anti-competition laws. Those guidelines would be based mainly on race ratings—rankling proponents of a traditional black-type committee with discretionary powers to determine black type status, bearing in mind other factors. These would include the cultural and historical significance of races, helping, for example, to ensure smaller states preserved their number of black type events, especially group 1s. Such matters had been expected to be addressed at RA's board meeting before it was cancelled. It's believed the new and vast list of 40-plus races slated for upgrades had been determined on ratings alone. The fact that they were spread around the country might at least suggest there has been dialogue between the states, after years of tension. Not only was the APC dissatisfied with Australia's lack of a functioning pattern committee, another sticking point was the list of proposed upgrades was put forward without acknowledgement of the need for downgrades. Australia has had no races downgraded for some 13 years. Australia now has 608 black-type races, up from 549 in 2000. The proposals tabled at the APC meeting would have pushed the number past 650—a figure which critics charge, in the continuing absence of downgrades, dilutes the Australian black-type product, and erodes its significance. ANZ News understands the RA proposals were not killed off completely at the APC meeting, but were rejected pending the presentation of more information about how Australia intends to determine its black type races. They are, however, considered long odds of being approved—unless Australia radically overhauls its current black type situation, addressing the APC's concerns. Meanwhile, the statuses of the 18 NSW races run under supposed upgrades since the start of last season remain unapproved by the APC—meaning those "upgrades" are not reflected in sales catalogues. Amid much confusion, RNSW and RA continue to advertise the 18 under their unapproved new gradings. The next one of these comes up Oct. 11 with the Tapp-Craig (1,400 meters), which was "upgraded" from non-black type to Listed. After that comes three in one day—Everest day Oct. 18—with faux group 3s in the Reginald Allen Quality (1,400 meters), the ATC St Leger (2,600 meters), and the Silver Eagle (1,300 meters). The latter two supposedly entered the pattern as group 3s, while the Reginald Allen was "upgraded" from Listed.