![John Messara talks to Autumn Glow's jockey Kieran McEvoy alongside Arrowfield's Jon Freyer [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2166656.jpg)
Major breeders, owners and Australia’s two thoroughbred auction houses have banded together to establish the Australian Racing Industry Alliance in response to the Australian Pattern impasse.
The Asian Racing Federation decided it would take over the classification of Australian black type racing on Wednesday, after more than a decade where Racing Australia and its stakeholders have been dysfunctional and mismanaged the Pattern.
Heavy hitters Jonathan Munz and John Messara, a former Racing Australia chair who heads Arrowfield Stud, will publicly lead the group that aims to restore an Australian Pattern in Australian hands.
The ARIA group includes Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, Magic Millions, Inglis and the Australian Trainers Association. The Alliance’s proposal has the backing of Racing Victoria.
“I sincerely hope that Racing Australia will eventually agree that the Australian racing industry requires internationally compliant black type rules and an independent Australian pattern committee,” Messara said.
“We cannot have the current situation, where races are listed by Racing Australia as having been upgraded or as “new” Stakes races, when they do not qualify to appear as such in our sales catalogues.
“Ultimately, the industry needs appropriate pattern guidelines complying with international norms and taking into account that Australia is a federated system with multiple state jurisdictions.
“In that regard, it is also important to note that a “ratings based only” [proposed by Racing NSW] set of pattern guidelines would be inconsistent with the Asian Pattern Committee Ground Rules.
“[They] specifically require a pattern committee to take into account ‘all factors that include more than race ratings or statistical analysis, such as the effect on the shape of the Pattern in the country concerned and the effect on the shape of the entire Asian Racing Federation Pattern, as well as circumstances that may impact the race rating of a specific race’, and that each committee member needs to ‘exercise good judgement to every grading decision’.”
“For the sake of the Australian racing industry and its international reputation, I am hoping that the current circumstances present a catalyst for a peaceful settlement of this whole issue between all parties.”
Munz echoed criticism of Racing Australia.
“Racing Australia has been heavily criticised and the current situation is an embarrassment. It cannot be in charge of putting together a set of experts on breeding and the pattern to advise the APC,” he said.
“You don’t empower the organisation that has been accused of botching a process to fix that process or to execute a remediation plan. The members of ARIA have the credibility and expertise to form or select the advisory group to help the APC, whereas it is considered that simply is not the case at Racing Australia.”
