Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Racing Australia have announced that the Black Type Advisory Group proposed on December 17, 2025, has been formulated. It is an answer to the absence of an Australian Pattern Committee, which has not convened since 2017, and could mean that Australia regains control over their black-type status from the Asian Pattern Committee.
The industry’s full breadth
The group will be composed of Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch, Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch, Widden Stud Director and Aushorse Chairman Antony Thompson, Darley Managing Director Andy Makiv, bloodstock agent Adrian Hancock, Arrowfield Stud Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer, and respected breeder Duncan Grimley.
Gallery: Members of the new Black Type Advisory Group
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, Racing Australia outlined that it had been important to elect members representing the full breadth of the industry, and critically none of them have a role on either the Racing Australia board, or the board of any principal racing authority or race club.
The group will both provide advice to Racing Australia about the overall programming of black-type racing, and will provide an independent view on potential upgrades, downgrades, and additions to the programming to both the Asian Pattern Committee and each PRA.
Rob Rorrison | Image courtesy of Racing Australia
“We are delighted to have this highly credentialed group agree to provide their expertise at this critical time,” said Racing Australia Chairman Rob Rorrison. “Their independent view will undoubtedly be of great value to both the PRAs and the Asian Pattern Committee as they consider the composition of the Australian Black Type List.”
“We are delighted to have this highly credentialed group agree to provide their expertise at this critical time.” - Rob Rorrison
It is unclear at this stage whether or not the BTAG will restore Racing Australia’s powers to amend their own black-type program.
A welcome announcement
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse CEO Andrew Hore-Lacy expressed feeling encouraged by the group’s formation.
“Black type is the recognised measure of merit in thoroughbred racing and breeding, and it underpins the value of Australian-bred horses in both domestic and international markets,” he said. “Maintaining the credibility and integrity of Australia’s Pattern is therefore critically important to the long-term strength of the industry.
“Maintaining the credibility and integrity of Australia’s Pattern is therefore critically important to the long-term strength of the industry.” - Andrew Hore-Lacy
“It is encouraging to see experienced breeders represented on the Black Type Advisory Group, including Aushorse Chair Antony Thompson and TBA Board Member Andy Makiv.
Their involvement will help ensure the perspective of breeders is part of the discussion as these matters are considered with a national focus and with Australia’s international standing in mind.”
Andrew Hore-Lacy | Image courtesy of Aushorse
Racing Victoria have also welcomed the group’s formation.
“RV supports Racing Australia’s appointment of the Black Type Advisory Group and the members chosen,” a Racing Victoria spokesperson said.
“We have been advocates for industry representatives who invest in and sustain our sport playing a meaningful role in decision making regarding Australia’s black-type.
“This Advisory Group is representative of the right stakeholders and comes following important engagement with stakeholder groups and PRAs on its composition.” - Racing Victoria
“This Advisory Group is representative of the right stakeholders and comes following important engagement with stakeholder groups and PRAs on its composition. We look forward to the Black Type Advisory Group playing a critical role in helping to inform future decisions on Australia’s black-type.”
How did we get here?
The announcement last December came in the wake of the Asian Pattern Committee (APC) informing Racing Australia that they would be temporarily taking control of black-type decisions for Australian racing. The decision was made by the Asian Racing Federation in the wake of it being eight years since Australia’s Pattern Committee had convened, with no clear picture of when it might convene again.
In October of 2024, Racing Australia announced the adoption of new black-type guidelines that relied on “largely objective criteria”, chiefly the benchmark rating of top performers, to inform the black-type status of races. The statement from Racing Australia said that “the Black Type Guidelines will be reviewed after consideration of and input from racing industry participants”.
Subsequently, a number of Listed and Group upgrades were made by Racing NSW, but rejected by the ARF, the Blue Book of the International Cataloguing Standards, the Australian Stud Book, all major auction houses, and pedigree producer Arion. These New South Wales races have since been run and advertised with their PRA-approved upgrades, but do not appear as such in sales catalogues or in stud books.
Tom Kitten winning the G1 All Star Mile | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
No other state has proposed or attempted any changes to black-type status, save for Victoria’s request to upgrade the G1 All Star Mile, which was ratified by the APC. Many industry participants have expressed opposition to the guidelines, which could have seen double digit upgrades across New South Wales and Victoria.
The statement from the ARF in December said that “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”.
The ARF statement continued, “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.”
"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.” - Asian Racing Federation
The ARF had previously threatened that Australia could risk being downgraded to Book II of the Blue Book, which would see a mass downgrade of all black-type in the country. Group 1s would be downgraded to Listed and all other races would lose their black-type status altogether.
The ARF have not yet announced any changes to the Australian pattern.
