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(Racing Australia media release)

Racing Australia’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the formation of a Working Party to initiate a strategic review of the Australian Pattern.

The Working Party will examine the overall structure and current relevance of the Australian Pattern and Pattern Guidelines that contribute to the assessment of Group & Listed Races in Australia by Racing Australia’s Pattern & Development Committee.

In conjunction with the Australian Pattern & Development Committee the Working Party will also take into account the relevance of the Asian Pattern Committee guidelines, American Graded Stakes Committee guidelines, the European Pattern guidelines and principles and objectives of the International Cataloguing Standards in their deliberations.

The Working Party will comprise:

• The Chairman of Racing Australia as convenor
• Two (2) representatives nominated by Racing New South Wales
• Two (2) representatives nominated by Racing Victoria
• A further three (3) representatives nominated by Racing Queensland, TRSA, RWWA, TasRacing, Canberra Racing Club and Thoroughbred Racing NT.

The Working Party’s objectives are to:

1. Appraise and comment on the efficacy and relevance of the most recent iteration of the Australian Pattern guidelines.
2. Assess the current Australian racing calendar, specifically the timing of existing and recent ratings of Group 1 events and identify opportunities that may contribute to the Australian Thoroughbred Racing Industry fully maximising the promotional and commercial potential of such events and thus consequently strengthen and enhance Australian racing as a whole.
3. Examine the structure and relevance of the current Australian Pattern with specific focus on events that achieve a Pattern Race Rating (PRR is the average of the Annual Race Rating achieved by a race over a three-year period) of 112 and above.
4. Examine the potential to integrate new race events regarded as “Innovation” events within the Australian Pattern to ensure such events complement the Australian Pattern.
5. Assess whether the current configuration of events constitutes a Pattern, given the discretionary matters that have been exercised in forming the most recent adaptation.
6. Determine what an effective and appropriate Pattern should look like.
7. Assess and determine how an effective and appropriate Pattern would reward innovation and success.

Racing Australia, while empowering the Working Party to conduct an exhaustive review, has nominated 31 July 2020 as the deadline for the presentation of the report to enable the Australian Pattern & Development Committee to assess its findings and issue a recommendation to Racing Australia for consideration at its August 2020 Board meeting.