Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
In a detailed statement released on Thursday, the newly formed Australian Racing Industry Alliance (ARIA) outlined the industry’s formal position on the Asian Racing Federation's intervention and, in doing so, made its strongest declaration yet: the management of Australia’s Pattern can no longer sit with Racing Australia.
ARIA, which brings together Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, state breeding associations, both major auction houses, participant bodies and former Racing Australia Chair John Messara, has emerged as the first unified national voice capable of articulating an alternative model - one that places responsibility for Black Type integrity in the hands of the people who depend on it.
At the centre of the statement were two highly significant interventions from ARIA Chair - highly respected owner/breeder Jonathan Munz - and Messara, both of whom expressed deep concern about Racing Australia’s role in allowing the system to deteriorate. Their comments signal a decisive shift: the Pattern should be governed independently, with expert input from breeders, sales companies, and participants, not caught between political forces inside Racing Australia.
ARIA is a coalition of significant groups with a stake in the Australian thoroughbred economy, including Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, Thoroughbred Breeders NSW, Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria, Magic Millions, Inglis, the Australian Trainers Association, and the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association.
It is the core of the Australian bloodstock industry speaking with one voice at a moment when international confidence has reached breaking point.
A call for the right leadership
ARIA Chair Jonathan Munz delivered one of the sharpest public critiques of Racing Australia to date.
“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. You don’t empower the organisation that has been accused of botching a process to fix that process.”
“You don’t empower the organisation that has been accused of botching a process to fix that process.” - Jonathan Munz
His comments reflect a broader reality: the industry no longer believes Racing Australia has the capability or credibility to restore a compliant, internationally recognised Pattern.
ARIA’s proposed system - a truly independent Pattern Committee selected annually by a separate not-for-profit panel - mirrors the governance structures used in other major racing jurisdictions and removes the veto mechanisms that paralysed the Australian model for nearly a decade.
Jonathan Munz | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
It also brings back home a fundamental point often lost in the political debate: the Pattern was never designed for racing administrators. It was established to ensure the integrity of pedigrees, catalogue accuracy, and global consistency in Black Type classification.
For breeders, vendors and buyers, the Pattern is more than a classification system - it is the backbone of the commercial thoroughbred economy. Its purpose is commercial and structural, not bureaucratic.
ARIA’s proposal therefore positions stewardship with the people who rely on the Pattern and understand how it functions in practice, rather than with a national body that has, for nine years, struggled to maintain even basic compliance with international standards.
Accuracy of race listings
Former Racing Australia Chair John Messara echoed these concerns, highlighting the reputational and commercial risks now facing Australia.
“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.”
John Messara | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Messara also rejected the ratings-only framework supported by Racing NSW, noting that it contradicts the Asian Pattern Committee Ground Rules, which require the exercise of judgment, assessment of context, and consideration of the national and regional Pattern - not just the numerical output of race ratings.
Such a model, he warned, would distort the national stakes landscape and disproportionately harm smaller jurisdictions.
A fundamental failure
The ARF’s intervention, described as an action taken only in “exceptional circumstances”, reflects a significant failure of domestic governance. Australia has not had a functioning, internationally compliant Pattern process since at least 2017/18. The ARF’s patience has run out, and the temporary takeover is now the only mechanism preserving Australia’s standing as a Part I nation.
But ARIA has made it clear that the ARF’s intervention is only acceptable if it bypasses Racing Australia’s dysfunction and enables Australian experts to contribute directly to the APC’s work.
In practical terms, this means Racing Australia cannot lead the remediation process until it demonstrates structural reform and a willingness to adopt global norms.
ARIA has proposed a governance model that mirrors the independent structures used throughout the rest of the racing world. Under this plan, an Australian Pattern Panel (APP) would be established as a separate not-for-profit entity with 18 permanent voting members and a constitution that ensures proper governance, continuity and succession planning.
The APP would be responsible for selecting an Australian Pattern Committee each year, with seats allocated to breeders, sales companies and three PRA nominees.
Crucially, the committee would operate independently of Racing Australia, preventing any single state from exercising veto power and ensuring decisions reflect the broader interests of the national Pattern rather than internal political agendas.
The ARF has made clear this arrangement is temporary, and the next phase will depend on whether Australia can present a credible, unified path back to international compliance. ARIA believes that path exists, but not under Racing Australia’s current structure.
And as John Messara noted, the stakes are far larger than internal politics.
“Nothing short of proper governance will do.” - John Messara
“For the sake of the Australian racing industry and its international reputation, we need a settlement that restores confidence in the Pattern. Nothing short of proper governance will do.”
