This brings the total number of Australian Group 1 races to 77 for the 2026-27 season after it was determined not to downgrade the Metropolitan, Victoria Derby and Railway Stakes.
The ARF revealed that 30 races have been upgraded or given newly acquired stakes status, with 22 of those races in NSW including the Concorde Stakes, Kingston Town Stakes, Craven Plate and City Tatts Lightning Stakes, which were elevated from Group 3 to Group 2 status, and the Heritage Stakes from Listed to Group 3 level.
There are a number of NSW races that have been given stakes status for the first time including The Invitation, Russell Balding Stakes and 7 Stakes, which were made Group 2 races, Five Diamonds and The Gong to Group 3, while the Silver Eagle, Golden Gift, Big Dance, The Warra, The Hunter and The Beauford were confirmed as Listed races.
In Victoria, the Poseidon Stakes, Cap D’Antibes Stakes, Spring Preview and Chautauqua Stakes were upgraded from Listed to Group 3 level.
Some races considered for upgrade but remain unchanged were the The Shorts, which stays a Group 2, the San Domenico Stakes (Group 3) and the Toy Show Quality (Group 3).
The ARF has put the Metropolitan, Victoria Derby and Railway Stakes on notice after those races were considered for possible downgrade before retaining their Group 1 status.
The Golden Eagle, which is restricted to four-year-olds, was only established in 2019 but has quickly become one of the highest-rated races each season and there is no argument it deserves Group 1 status.
Mighty mare Autumn Glow enhanced the race’s growing reputation when she won from Sepals and Evaporate last year after international raiders Obamburumai (2023) and Lake Forest (2024) scored the previous two years.
Kolding (2019), Colette (2020), I’m Thunderstruck (2021) and I Wish I Win (2022) are the other Golden Eagle winners.
These black-type changes come after the Asian Pattern Committee took control of the Australian Pattern system from Racing Australia late last year.
The APC met last week to finalise the status of Australian black-type races for the start of the new racing season on August 1.
“A key purpose of this special meeting was to enable the ARF to assist the Australian industry to be fully informed of any changes ahead of the next running of these races, while other races in Racing Australia’s application are to be further considered by the APC at its next meeting in September,” the ARF statement read.
“The ARF has been clear on the requirement that Racing Australia establish a functioning system operating in accordance with the APC Ground Rules, and will provide a further update when it is considered appropriate for the above arrangements to end (or any other necessary actions to be taken by the ARF if such a system is not established).”
Racing Australia was advised of and agreed to the Pattern changes last week.
The ARF stepped in to take control of the black-type races after the Australian Pattern Committee was rendered ineffectual for some years due to disagreements between state racing bodies.
A seven-member Black Type Advisory Group made up of Sebastian Hutch from Inglis, Barry Bowditch from Magic Millions, Widden Stud supremo Antony Thompson, Godolphin Australia boss Andy Makiv, Arrowfield Stud’s Jon Freyer, and respected racing and breeding industry identities Duncan Grimley and Adrian Hancock, then made recommendations to the APC to overhaul the nation’s black-type races.
“(The handicappers) held a special conference to determine the end-of-season 2025/26 ratings for horses rated above 112 in the ARF jurisdictions (including Australia), as well as the ratings for the first four placed horses in all Group 1 races run in the ARF Pattern,” the APC statement said.
“These ratings were considered by the APC in the relevant decision-making process.”
