Op-Ed: Cassandra Simmonds on The Pattern

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Written by Cassandra Simmonds, Magic Millions. Australian Stud & Stable Staff Award winner for 2021.

We’re all in this together. It’s a motto we’ve heard countless times in a post-COVID world.

The Australian racing and breeding industry is known for galvanising its support in times of crisis. Yet as the industry faces the greatest challenge to its international standing since the artificial insemination litigation against the Australian Stud Book, where is that unity?

If you love racing, if your livelihood depends on racing, well listen up as the value of The Pattern and the associated black type it brings to the Australian industry is that important it impacts us all.

I grew up dreaming of my dad training a good horse, scripting phantom calls of the Melbourne Cup and writing ‘fake news’ articles about him having a runner in the Cox Plate. I didn’t understand The Pattern but I understood these races were coveted. They were worth winning not because of what they were worth and I was hooked for life.

One of Australian racing’s most enviable attributes is its accessibility. We all have stories of what inspired our involvement and passion. To continually progress the game we must respect the history of the sport, celebrate it.

Innovation is vitally important and with leadership of a national perspective, both new races and time-honoured races can co-exist and prosper. Our carnivals should complement not kill each other and we all share in that success. After all, we want to showcase the best racing and have the best horses win our Group 1 races.

A recently published op-ed on this issue suggested breeders may feel disenfranchised by The Pattern but I see it as being disillusioned by the stagnation of its governance. A governance that needs to be representative and considerate of the thoroughbred industry in its totality.

This is not an argument about prizemoney or wagering turnover, nor an argument about whether The Everest deserves Group 1 status. This is an argument about bringing everyone to the table to effectively debate, consult and develop a truly national charter for the future of the Pattern Committee. One that ensures the worth of the Australian thoroughbred product and our international standing is not jeopardised.

To Racing Australia Board members, to the Boards of each Principal Racing Authority, to participants at every level, I ask you to ask yourself - do you love the industry enough to want to see it succeed outside your own involvement or investment for future generations?

It’s time we all stand together in the interest of racing and not self-interest.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers of Thoroughbred Daily News AusNZ.

This letter was written in response to an article in TDN AusNZ's Wednesday, August 6 edition, The ongoing challenge of The Pattern.