Racing NSW have welcomed international intervention in Australia’s black type racing.
The Asian Racing Federation took the highly unusual step to announce on Wednesday that their Asian Pattern Committee will now make decisions regarding the black type status in Australia.
It follows years of wrangling between Australian states, mainly NSW and Victoria who couldn’t agree on the status of many races, including which to downgrade. The ARF said the decision to take control is only temporary.
It now raises the real possibility that many of Australia’s most historic races will be downgraded. Racing NSW and Racing Victoria famously agreed on a number of races they would upgrade, only for Racing Victoria to walk away following outrage from stakeholders.
Racing NSW CEO Peter V’Landys told Betsy his organisation welcomed the move.
”Racing NSW was in favour of new guidelines that mostly mirrored in the main the Asian Pattern guidelines in any case,” he said.
”Unfortunately other jurisdictions weren’t.
”This intervention maybe the nucleus for the PRAs to finalise a set of guidelines.”
Racing Victoria said they want an inpendent committee to run all Black Type decisions in Australia.
”We remain committed to working with Racing Australia (RA) on a solution that would see the management of the Australian Pattern and black type classifications return to Australia,” he said.
”We remain of the view that the stakeholders in Australian racing – those who in invest in and sustain our sport – should be genuinely involved in developing and delivering a workable long-term solution for our industry.
”It is our view that RA should explore an Australian Independent Pattern Committee, comprising suitable industry representatives, to oversee the Black Type Guidelines and decision-making with greater scope than an advisory role.”
Australia’s representative on the board is South Australian Racing chairman Rob Rorrison.
In announcing their decision to take control, the ARF cited “exceptional circumstances”.
“The Asian Racing Federation (ARF) advises that, given the exceptional circumstances that exist, the Asian Pattern Committee (APC) will, for the time being, make decisions regarding the status of all black type races in Australia,” the statement said.
“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.”
“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.”
“The APC will commence its decision-making for black type races in Australia so that any status changes are determined 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. 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.”
