One of Australian racing’s oldest staying races, The Metropolitan, has been immediately downgraded from Group 1 to Group 2 level following a decision by international racing authorities.
The Asian Racing Federation endorsed the Asian Pattern Committee’s decision to remove the race’s elite-level status just weeks out from its October 3 running over 2400m at Randwick.
The decision comes as trainers prepare their stayers for the historic race, which was first run in New South Wales in 1863 and forms part of the Epsom Handicap day program.
The downgrade represents a significant reversal after The Metropolitan had been spared from losing its Group 1 classification less than two months earlier.
In a statement released on Thursday night, the Asian Racing Federation said Racing NSW had moved away from previously agreed changes to the conditions of The Metropolitan which would have allowed the race to retain its Group 1 status for at least the upcoming season.
The Metropolitan’s position had been under scrutiny after failing to achieve the required ratings benchmarks across the previous three seasons.
The issue was discussed at the Asian Pattern Committee’s July meeting, where delegates were informed that the staying feature had fallen short of the required performance parameters.
That meeting also resulted in 19 additional Australian races receiving black-type recognition and the Golden Eagle being elevated to Group 1 status.
The Metropolitan will therefore be staged as a Group 2 race when it is run at Randwick on October 3.
